SPEAKER_01 0:00

I want all of us to rise a right, and we can't do it without community and each other. So that is something that is extremely important to me.

SPEAKER_00 0:15

All right, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Connections That Matter, where we have awesome conversations with Northern Colorado's best networkers. And today on the show, I absolutely have one of the best Misty freaking Dawkins in the house. Welcome, Misty.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Yeah. Well, if you networked anywhere in Windsor, Colorado, I'm sure they've seen you at an event. I feel like you could run for mayor of the town and probably win. Um but if people are familiar with you, share a little bit about what you do.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Yeah, so thank you for that introduction. Um and yeah, it's very sweet. Um, my name again is Misty Dawkins, Windsor City Lifestyle, which is the publication out in Windsor and uh surrounding areas. With we also go to Severance. And I have been the owner and publisher of Windsor City Lifestyle for almost three years already. And it is the scariest but most rewarding thing I've ever done. I say that all the time because it's very true.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Well, I think you know, the entrepreneurs that watch this can relate to that as they're growing a business. Like scary and exciting.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Yeah, very.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Uh but you're in year three. Uh, I did see that you were just in on a trip because of the success that you're having. So you obviously got some kind of winning formula uh there in Windsor.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

You know, the winning formula is community. It's 100%. Um, Windsor has an amazing community that really rallies behind me and other businesses. And I am just so grateful to be steamrolling this. I well, is steamrolling not maybe that's not the word I want to use, but it's it's been it's been such a blessing. And when I say three years, I so it is a franchise. We've been around. Um, I'm sorry, the publication, Windsor's been around for three years, but the company's been around for almost 20. Okay. And uh it's city lifestyle. We're in almost every state now in hunt and in hundreds of cities, but it's my job to tell the heartbeat of Windsor and the surrounding areas. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

So what do you love about Windsor and the business owners of Windsor?

SPEAKER_01 2:25

Oh, it's I'm gonna say it again, the community. It it even though it's growing every single day, literally growing every single day, there's still that small town. And I don't know if we'll ever lose that. Even when we're people are gonna not be happy, but someday we're gonna be a hundred thousand people. I mean, we're already at almost 48. Wow. And um, I think it'll always just have that small town fill. And when you're walking, excuse me, excuse me, when you're walking into a place and you hear your name, you know, and everybody is just so friendly and welcoming.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

Well, I um I've walked into a couple of places like with events, and it, you know, you you definitely amplify uh like Luna's tacos. I want to highlight them. Uh, went to a great networking event that you threw uh for a cover reveal for them, and um, the owners were so excited to have you there and host all of the business owners. But how do how have you made connections? Um, if you're starting, you know, three years ago, you didn't have any advertisers, you had a business concept, but yeah, how did you get it from just starting out to all of these really amazing relationships?

SPEAKER_01 3:34

Well, you're gonna love my answer because you may know something about it. Networking. Going and showing up, showing up, showing up, and showing up. And I wouldn't say that you have to go to every networking event. You do have to, I think there's something to be said about being intentional and strategic on where you're spending your time because our time is valuable. But when you find the networking groups that work, the first thing I tell people, and I get nothing out of this, join your chambers. The chambers are so active, and um there's a chamber in every city. And our chamber, the Windsor Chamber, is extremely active. We have a new um executive director, Norma Perez. She's lovely and very well known in our area. And of course, there's Fort Collins and Greeley. And I used to work for the Greeley Chambers, so they have a special place in my heart. And um, that is the first thing that I tell every business owner, no matter if you're small or big, join your chamber, learn about your chambers. If you ever want to sit down and talk about why I love chambers and so passionate about them. Um, again, that they're just amazing. And then there's several networking groups. Of course, one of our favorites, Andrew, you know, like of course, you're um, I've met so many great business owners from your networking group. Um, and there's many others out there.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Yeah. So if you go to a chamber event, um, you're meeting people, um, how you you just seem to build such like a deep relationship though with your people. So take us through like kind of you you talked about networking with intention. Um, but how I guess expand on that a little bit more, but how do you build those deeper relationships?

SPEAKER_01 5:23

Well, I I think for me, of course, I can only speak for me. I I genuinely care. I want all of us to rise a right, and we can't do it without community and each other. So that is something that is extremely important to me. So when I when I go to a networking group, my intention is really engaging and meeting. I'm not just sitting in a corner just like sipping on a cocktail. Sure. I want to actually meet at least three to four people and actually set up three to four coffee dates um and meet them outside of a busy area. Um, and and then just hear their story, hear what they're wanting. And I think the other thing that I may have the gift for is cheerleading. You know, I'm cheerleading, I'm a cheerleader and a connector. And it's important for me to not just with my business, but just me as a person, I genuinely care about your story. I want to hear what your story is, and I want to bring value to your story. And so I get to do that for a living. I get to actually tell people's stories for a living. And um, even though I'm I want to be clear, I'm not the writer, I do pretty much everything but the writing and the photography. But I come up with the the story ideas um and like really strategically put the magazine together. And I do want to make it clear that we're not just paper, we're 100% digital. We also have a huge social media presence. Please follow us on Windsor City Lifestyle, Facebook or Instagram. And then we do, as you have already mentioned, and I think this is what sets us really apart, is our events. We and I say we um because I have a team, again, photographers, writers, my editor. Uh I have a whole marketing team, NCT marketing is fantastic, just re-signed with them. Um so I have a whole team behind me to highlight all of our businesses and people and nonprofits in our community.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

How do you balance it all uh between the events? And you know, I mean, maintaining the relationship.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

Great question.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Do I balance it all?

SPEAKER_01 7:43

Um, I would say if you asked my husband, he may say that I don't. Um no, I I think one of the things that is an advantage for me is I'm 52 years old and I don't have kids. And I met my husband later in life, and he is a he's such a cheerleader and he lets me pretty much be and do whatever I want to do. Um so, but I would say that I could probably do a little better on balancing because I'm I probably shouldn't say this out loud, but I'm going to. Um, if I get an email at 10 p.m. at night, the odds are that I'm probably going to answer it, which is not good balance. So um I'm not sure if I'm the person to ask uh ask about balance.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

Well, and I and maybe balance is the wrong word because what I what I do just feel every time I'm around you, you're very passionate about what you do. So maybe harmony is a a better word. And when you're passionate about what you do, you you might want to work till 10. You might want to get back to those people. But uh maybe how do you find work-life harmony?

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Uh so um I work out every single day. I think it's very, very important. And I'm finding meditation is really, really important. I'm still not, I'm very good at the working out part. I'm not perfect at the meditation part, but finding that quiet, even if it's five minutes and just really no technology turning everything off, and really, really just stay staying in silence. Um, is really important for people like you and I that are just busy, busy, busy all the time. And you get to add on to that with children and all of those things. So um, yeah, those are the two. And then also also in my free time, I am very we are very grateful that we get to travel a lot. Yeah. So um, because I can do as besides a meet, well, I mean, I can even do a meeting on the road if it's a Zoom call. Um, I can do mo a lot of this even when I'm traveling.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

Get to go to Florida for a publisher's retreat next next month on the beach. I'm super excited. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Um, so you have a bunch of people advertise with you and um like you said 82 partners right now, as of as of today. There you go. And a lot of people would who aren't familiar with Windsor now wouldn't realize that it's as big as it's growing or as robust. I mean, it's it's really cool to see um what they're doing, but you're in a place to help elevate them their brand. Um, get them in place, get them in front of local. Um, I think a lot of the social media for you pages are all these national creators or stuff that you don't actually have any connection with at a local level. So there's a hunger and a thirst to be connected locally um as well. But I would say it's probably maybe a heavy lift. They're advertising with you because they want to elevate their brand and grow. And um, how do you help them um meet their advertising goals?

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Yeah, so I mean, we definitely sit down and talk about um what their what their goals are for the year. And we also listen to what they really need. I was just having this conversation with another publisher. Um, and for some reason, um I seem uh dealerships uh are some somewhat hard for people to to um get in their magazine. And I am grateful enough to have a little bit of background on dealerships. And so I have three amazing dealerships. I've got uh McDonald Toyota, I've got be John L Wade BMW, and then I also have Mike Shaw Subaru. And I think the reason that um that all three of them, so the question that was asked to me by this publisher is how are you getting dealerships? None of us are getting them, very few of us are getting them. And I said, Well, you you're not asking the right questions. What is the value that they want? Um obviously, an ad is how we make our money. How however, what do they want? And guess what they all say? I want my vehicles to be seen. I want them to be at your events, I want I want butts in seats. So how do they make that happen? They show up and they show that those vehicles are in at our events. Many of those um, maybe not them all together, but we strategically, hey, if this is an upscale event, we want a BMW. If it's a cowboy event, we want a truck, you know. So like um those those are the things when you're listening to what people want, um you make it happen. And that is what that's what I do. I introduce people all the time. Hey, you're a realtor. What are you looking? What are you needing? Well, of course they're wanting to sell houses. Well, guess what? My next event, November 20th, is an open house event, five to seven. Everybody's invited. We're doing Toys for Tots, Pictures with Santa, nine different venues. I'm sorry, vendors in the in the home. Um, we're doing a little bingo and nine vendors, they're my vendors, and American Legend Homes is getting eyes on their model homes. The realtor that they work with is going to be there shaking hands and kissing babies. I mean, all of our vendors are like, I want to be a part of that. So we've got mortgage and bankers and massage therapists is gonna be there. So last year, this will be our second year doing it. Um, we had over 200 people go through the home. Um, they see value in that, right? So it's not just about, hey, I want you to have an ad in my publication. I want you to meet the people that you want to meet.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

And I am blessed enough to have those connections and I make those connections for others.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

And I I like that you call them business partners. Uh because when I think of you have 82 business partners, what an incredible network that is. Uh people that um are collaborating with you, working with you. But if you need them to come to an event or pull them together, you can call them, they'll pick up your your your um phone call because it's you in that relationship. But what doors do you think that that's open now that you've been in for three years? You can, you know, have so many connections, especially in a place like Windsor. Um, what does that allow you to do now that maybe you didn't have access to those resources when you first started?

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Well, I think the doors that are being open um are just so many different industries. Um, we we we are limited industry, but there's some industries that I haven't been able to tap into yet. And they're introducing me to people too because they see value. And the other thing that I think is really important to to mention now that I'm going on almost three years, um a lot of a lot of my partners are actually re-signing. So my my retention is at 91%.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

Nice.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Um, the people that I have lost are usually people that have moved away or they've they've chosen another career. So um hopefully that answers your question. I think that answers your question.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Well, you know, and you know the proof is in um when you throw an event, how many people show up and um collaborate like that? Luna's was was packed. You know, I imagine 200 people walking through an open house, uh amazing traffic. That is.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

That's a funny story about Luna's. Um just a funny story. And a couple of people came up to me. Actually, a handful of people came up to me and they're like, Misty, we don't even really know why we're here. But we knew, excuse me, that we knew that you were having a party. So we knew we had to be here. And then the next day, um, I had a couple of people call me and just be like, I met so and so, and we have a coffee date, and I'm so excited to meet them. Like, that's where it it gives me so much joy when other people are meeting. Um, because it's really not about me. It's about the energy that maybe I do bring, but that energy in the room is so exciting for me.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

How do you pull it together though? Because it's one thing to just post an event, but getting people to show up, making sure people have an experience when they're at an event. Um, there's a lot. I mean, I know just there's a lot more that goes into it. Um any tips for a business owner who's wanting to build more of a community with their um their network or their clients?

SPEAKER_01 16:32

The tip is follow up. Okay. Follow up. You don't just put an invitation out once or twice. Not only are you putting the invitation out, you're calling them, you're reminding them. Um, there's work in that. And not a not a lot of people like that. And unfortunately, it's just we are all busy. We are all so, so busy. And we need those reminders. We need them to put those on their calendars. Um, you do a great job, by the way. Like, truly, like your reminders of your emails and things like that are they help all of us. And that's why your events are good because you're doing all the right things. And I think the other thing is that I've been around the northern Colorado area for quite a while. And I do have a pretty good re reputation, thankfully. And um, and so people know that when I put something together, it's gonna be successful. And so I think the combination of the reputation that I have built and the follow-up, and then also um making sure that there is something a little different than I mean, an open house that 200 people show up at is not normal. It's not just your normal event, right? I mean, toys for tots and Santa and pictures being taken and hot chocolates and and some of my events are most of my events are free. Some of them are open to the public, some are just for my partners. But yeah, I just um again, before I was doing this, I was with the Greeley Chamber. So I think all of my life has been customer service and networking and just learn, especially in the last 10 years with being in the dealership world and then the chamber world before that, it was restaurants and bars and hotels. So there has just always been a love for community and people.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

And all of that combined gets me to where I am today. And this is what I was made for. I was made to do this and I didn't even know it. Thank you, Tara Rasmussen, that owns Greeley Lifestyle, because she's the one that saw that, saw it way before I did.

SPEAKER_00 18:37

Oh, that's so cool. And then your readers, right? They tune in uh or it shows up the first of the month uh and they get it and they read the stories, but I think they can really connect with your storytelling ability. But I also think the readers want to get connected to local businesses. Um, you know, if a hail storm hits, there's people door knocking, they may be flying in or driving in from anywhere, but to do a business with somebody from Windsor, it's it's it's a big deal.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

So yeah, you hit two points there that I I definitely want to say. So we have 62,000 people reading our publication every month, which is so wild, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

And the other thing that I wanted to just excuse me, we are very strategic. I shouldn't say strategic. We are very picky in who we put in our publication. I don't just take everybody. I want the best of the best, and I am limited again, I'm in limited industry. So I'm not taking every roofer. I am taking roofers that have an amazing reputation. We only have two, McIntyre and Slaughter. Slaughter's been around for, I think they're going on close to 40 years in northern Colorado. And McIntyre is since 2013. Both of them do an amazing job. And I personally know them. I've personally known them for a very long time. And I would recommend them to um my friends, my family. They're both family-owned, lovely families. Um, yeah. So it's very important that my pages are filled with people that I truly, anybody, any partner in my publication, I would go and have a cup of coffee with tomorrow.

SPEAKER_00 20:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Um, that is important to me. I can literally almost I was 99.9% there in my phones. We text. Um, I'm in, I'm there for them. Maybe I shouldn't say that either out loud. I'm gonna get myself controlled.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

No, and I think they uh, you know, just from networking with people at the event, they really appreciate the personal service that you do for them. Um it's not just that you give them a platform, but you walk somebody over and you help them make a connection. And um, you're you're in some ways the go-between, hey, I I know you and you need to meet so-and-so.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Uh, make sure that you can. But I also think it's interesting of that you've blended your networking efforts and then your advertising efforts. Because some people think it's like I do one or the other. Um, but you do a great job of putting them together. But if somebody is going to networking events, but maybe hasn't um done an advertising campaign or bought marketing somewhere, how do they know that um like city lifestyle is a right fit for them?

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Because they just need to call me so I can tell them. No, um, I think, well, there's just so much out there about city lifestyle. Again, they've been around for 20 years. So, but it's just a matter of connecting with the right with the right person, which if it's the Windsor area, it would be me. Um, we have, you know, we have a Fort Collins, we have a Loveland, we have a Greeley. All of the owners are amazing. And there's actually 18 in Colorado now. Um, I I believe I'm right, eighteen. And I think I already said this, but I believe we're hitting 250 in the country.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

That's cool.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

Um, so so yeah, I think it's just a matter of please, you know, follow Windsor City lifestyle. And just it maybe you're not quite there for um maybe you're not quite there about you don't have the funds to advertise, but tap into when you are there, if you keep on following us and seeing that we do show up all the time. Um maybe there will be a time when when it when it is right, when it does, when when it does fit.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Sure. Well, Missy, I mean, you're clearly having a lot of fun and it's growing. Like I'm excited to be one of your uh business partners as well. Thank you. But um, what are your goals? Where where is this headed? Where's your big vision for Okay?

SPEAKER_01 22:37

Well, goals. Oh, you didn't tell me we were talking about goals. They are almost there. January are goals. So um, so some personal goals. It's funny that you talk about boundaries. I do need to find some um healthy boundaries that um that yeah, in 2026, one thing I wrote down is healthy. Now, see, I'm really good at my um when I say personal boundaries, like I have great people that surround me. Um, gosh, we have such great friends and family. Um, but again, I should not be answering an email at 11 p.m. at night. So boundaries would probably be a goal. I'm always looking for the right partners. So growing the publication in a healthy, steady way. I'm like again, we started at 36 pages three years ago, or I should say two and so my first publication came out March of 2023. Okay. So when I say that I've been around for almost three years, of course, when you first purchase the publication, you you have to get partners to to fill the pages, right? So that's where I get the three years. But our publication has been out since March of 2023. We started at 36 pages. We are now at 56, getting ready to go to 60. Um, so it's been a healthy growth though. And I just people will tell me, like, do you have a stopping point? And as long as Windsor's growing and we're doing it in a healthy manner, I think that um I'm good with growing, of course. Um, but again, just keeping that feel of auth authentic that big word, genuine. I'll use that word instead of authentic. What am I trying to do? Yeah, that word. I can't say it. Oh, and um so just staying, it's very, very important for me to stay authentic and genuine and um have a healthy pace of growth. And I also, I guess if I was gonna say out loud, and I've said it a couple of times, but I wouldn't mind starting a podcast.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

There you go.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

So um I think that that could be another layer that sets me apart of offering that to partners. Yeah. Um yeah. So, and just to keep staying healthy, working out, and uh, I'm again a 52-year-old woman that um it's very important for me to to to keep my health. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:09

Well, Misty, this is an awesome uh conversation. Um, part of the connections that matter is we help people make connections. So is there any specific industries that you're looking to connect with if somebody's watching this that you would love to reach out or do a work?

SPEAKER_01 25:22

Yes, I do have a couple. I I have a whole list, but I'll I'll I'll limit it to four. I would love a great storage unit in northern Colorado, specifically Windsor. There's several storage units, and that's just a hard industry. I would love um a hospital. Um, we've got UCLF and NCMC that are in that area. And um what? Oh, injectables. I do not have anybody that does injectables, which is so wild. I have lovely um a couple of people that do facials and things of those, and I actually get facials um that that do a wonderful job, but I have nobody that does uh injectables. And let's see, one more. One more, one more. I have uh room for one more realtor.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

Oh wow, there you go.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

I now that I'm growing, I have um two amazing realtors and a commercial realtor, but I do not I have room for one more. Okay, and I would like it to be a group. Oh, yeah, like a like maybe not an individual, but like a team.

SPEAKER_00 26:26

Sure. Well, I love that you highlight the injectable. I I tell people when we're networking, you need to network with the personal services people because the hairstylists, the makeup artists, they know everything that's happening with everybody, they're a lot of times the the best referral generators. So uh sounds like a great opportunity, and just uh to have them connect and meet you um would be an awesome thing. So, Missy, thanks for coming on the show. Um, if somebody wants to get a hold of you, what's the best way for them to reach out?

SPEAKER_01 26:54

So I'm just gonna give my phone number because that's always easy. 720-520-2874. My uh again, I'm gonna say it one more time. Follow me, Windsor City Lifestyle. That's truly me. That's getting back to you. Um, Facebook or Instagram. And then my email is Misty M-I-S-T-Y dot dawkins do c I-n-s at city lifestyle.com.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

Awesome, Misty. This is a great discussion. Thanks so much for coming on the show and we'll see you around Northern Colorado.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

Hey all, thanks for watching. I love networking and building relationships with other Northern Colorado business leaders. So if you want to come meet some of these podcast guests, meet me, or meet some other amazing entrepreneurs in Northern Colorado, I would love to have you attend one of our next events. Uh go in the podcast description. There's a way so that you can see our upcoming schedule. And maybe you could be a future podcast guest as well. Thanks.