Meet Claridy Grace Reed | Social Media Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claridy Grace Reed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claridy Grace, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The process behind starting a business is so much more complex than people think. In my case, I have had many different experiences in the social media field before starting my Social Media Management and Marketing Agency. Being that I found it easier to start because I built many different perspectives with all sorts of businesses I worked with and used that as my foundation. Even with the knowledge I had I still felt as if I didn’t know enough so then I began researching hours on top of hours everything I needed to know about start-up businesses. I found the best information via books, podcasts, and YouTube videos. After a month of preparation I launched my website, google business, created business cards, and learned how to market myself because in this field you are your own product. I then started to reach out to 15-25 businesses a day pitching my service to them. After noticing pitch emails only do so much I then got a pack of my cards and went door to door for weeks all through out Miami speaking with managers and owners. I got 1,000 No’s before I received my first yes but the moment I got my first contract signed I became unstoppable and I genuinely fell in love with the process.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Claridy Grace Management is a social media marketing and management agency I created in October 2022 based out of Miami, Florida. I started this agency in hopes to help local restaurants, salons, and influencers grow their accounts and sales. Social Media is one of the best ways to market your service, product, or personal brand and is overlooked in many businesses so that’s why I’m here to help these brands develop recognition and create a strategy to help achieve their goals. Even though I launched Claridy Grace Management in October I have worked on social media for about 4 years now everything from Social Media Recruiter to Social Media Manager. I was inspired to start my business after working with Chef Donatella Arpaia fall of 2022. I happened to be her personal assistant and one afternoon she asked what I was interested in and what I wanted to do as a career being that I was not attending a university. I responded, ” I have always wanted to do something along the lines of marketing for that field interest me the most “. Without hesitation she invited me on a zoom with her marketing team for her personal and Noma Beach at Redfish social media accounts. After a week speaking with her and her team I got offered the position to be the social media manager and content creator. Being that I was able to learn how effective social media marketing is and got the best connections for Miami articles, editors, collaborators and even photographers. Entering October I knew I could make something big out of this and I created my own service offering marketing to businesses. It was not easy at all starting off, I emailed almost everyone in South Florida without getting any response and then I read in person pitches are always more intimate and I could have a better chance going in person so I did exactly that. Fast forward to February I have 10+ clients mostly in the culinary field but trying to promote to a wider range. I have learned what works best for each client and themes I like to see within their accounts. Even though im in a great spot at the moment I never want to stop learning, there is ALWAYS room for improvement and that’s why I love being my own product because I’m not tied down to the same old same old and I have the ability to be creative and execute my ideas throughout my work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am originally from San Antonio, Texas so I love having friends come and visit this beautiful city of Miami! The first place I would take a friend would be Coconut Grove, Coconut grove has countless artsy restaurants and shops and its a big local spot located in coral gables right by the blue waters and sailboats. On the weekends we would have to hop on a boat with friends and take in the gorgeous skyline of downtown or get a poke bowl and explore Key Biscayne’s memorable beaches. Nightlife is pretty big in Miami Monday-Sunday so that would have to be on the itinerary of course!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have learned from a countless amount of people throughout my journey of creating and running my business. I want to give credit to Chef Donatella Arpaia, She was the person who introduced me to the importance of Social Media and allowed me to jump right into the job with her marketing team. Without Donatella and her team I would not be where I am today. Another shoutout would be to my parents, my father was from a small town in Tennessee and opened his first furniture store with his father when he was 14 years old. He has taught me that its not easy all the time and that sales fluctuate and it is not always consistent but that’s not a time to give up or loose faith. My mother has always been my biggest supporter and has never left my side. She has raised me to be confident even when I feel insecure and now being my own product I have used that trait more than ever.

Website: claridygracemanagement.net

Instagram: claridygrace

Linkedin: claridy grace reed

Facebook: claridygrace

Youtube: claridygrace

Image Credits
David Medina