We had the good fortune of connecting with Suzanne Boyd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Suzanne, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from a very small town in North Florida called Monticello. There were just 19 people in my high school graduating class. My dad was a farmer, so I started working as a cotton scout when I was just 13. I learned the value of hard work very quickly. I also learned that if you were going to work hard, you needed to be putting in the effort on something you LOVED and I didn’t love working on the farm. When I was 14, I won the local Watermelon Queen pageant and was a guest on the local CBS affiliate and I knew from that point on that I wanted to be a broadcast journalist. I spent the next 8 years focused on getting into a top journalism school and working and interning at local radio and TV stations to get the experience I needed to go onto a successful TV news career. I left my 25-year career 2 years ago and started my own production company to produce my own shows. In addition to that – recently, my life has come full circle. I am now helping my dad pivot our cattle business to a more sustainable, farm-to-table model. With my marketing, social media and branding background, I helped him launch Boyd Farms Fresh, which is a direct-to-consumer beef business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is storytelling. I spent years telling other people’s stories on television. And I learned pretty quickly that social media was going to be my outlet to tell my story and connect with viewers on a different level. I went ALL IN on social media early in the game. I would tweet with viewers every morning and was consistently posting about my life, my children, my challenges on Facebook and the other platforms. It helped me build my brand outside of the TV persona and I believe allowed me to be successful when I decided to leave the news business and start my own company. I am now using my social media and marketing skills to drive our new family business, as well as help local businesses grow their audience and their sales.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Delray Beach and it is my favorite city in the whole wide world. It has the beach, Atlantic Avenue with all of the shops and restaurants. We have amazing events and it still feels like a small town with all the amenities of a big city. I’ve been doing some Staycation segments lately with my friends and family and I will say all of FLORIDA has so much to offer. North Florida offers beautiful crystal-clear springs and a quieter pace. The west coast of Florida (Naples) has stunning botanical gardens and quaint little cafes with white sandy beaches. The Florida Keys offers all the water sports: fishing, jet skiing and these great little islands where you can lose yourself for the day. And then South Florida has the action with great downtowns and nightlife. I was born and raised in Florida and have lived in almost every part, so I am the Sunshine State’s biggest fan!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my parents. I believe I got the best parts of them. My dad taught me about hard work and made me believe I could do anything. My mother instilled empathy and kindness for others in me. In our small town, if she saw someone walking into town on the side of the road – she would always pick them up and give them a ride.

Website: https://www.suzanneboyd.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newswithsuze/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/newswithsuze/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzanneboyd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewsWithSuze
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/riseandliveshow

Image Credits
I have attached the images:
1) The founders of Boyd Farms Fresh (my dad, his wife, me, my brother and his fiance)
2) On the set of the show I created Rise+Live with Roby and Suze
3) My Rise+Live co-host and me on location
4) TV head shot
5) Me at my studios for Suzanne Boyd Productions

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.