Why Local Creators Are The New Word Of Mouth For NJ Restaurants With Barelis Kelly

Henry Kaminski Jr.: What is going on, everybody? Welcome to another Brand to Table Podcast episode. This is episode 65.

⁓ my God, I cannot believe we have done 65 episodes since August. So I am really excited. Listen, we have had some really awesome guests on the show. I say this every episode, but I honestly, this particular guest, we had actually crossed paths a couple months back.

She came up on my radar. ⁓ as somebody that I should be following. It looked like a up-and-coming organization that was right in my wheelhouse. And sure as shit, we're sharing a client.

And we have this big event coming up on June 11th. So I said, you know what? Why not come on the show? We'll chat about it.

But at the same time, we can feature you and what you got going on. So without further ado, I want to introduce Barales Kelly from New Jersey Content Creators Association. What is going on? I know I know that's a mouthful, but what's up, Barales?

How you been? Beralis Kelly: It is Hi, good. Finally it's exciting to connect because I was in your DMs trying to connect with you and it's it's really exciting that we're here right now and and a mutual client, like you said. Very small world.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Ha ha ha. Yeah. And this is your first episode, so I'm gonna go easy.

Beralis Kelly: Go easy on me, please. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Nobody has ever come out the back end of this podcast hurt. So that that's a good that's a good thing.

That's a good thing. So let's let's jump into this. So for people who are just really discovering you for the first time, like talk to us. Who is Borales Kelly?

And what's the New Jersey Content Creators Association? Beralis Kelly: Okay. Yeah, yeah. Thank you.

Well, thanks for having me on. I'm very excited to be here with you. So I'm Baralis. I am 44.

I'm a mom. I'm a wife. ⁓ a former medical assistant. I love the medical fields and helping people.

So this is kind of right up my alley. It's just something that kind of naturally happened. I love I loved being a medical assistant and being with patients. So it it just kind of screw.

It just One day I wanted to have a Friendsgiving with my friends and some small business owners that I know, and next thing I know there's 75 people in kalandros at Fairfield having a sold-out event. Henry Kaminski Jr.: That's how it happens. That's exactly how it happens.

By coincidence. Beralis Kelly: It was just ⁓ a wild it's been a wild ride, but I I remember my friends saying maybe we should get sponsors and I'm like sponsors? What's that? What are those people?

And then we mentioned swag and and raffle prizes and it just turned into this community and and I'm really happy. Really happy. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Yeah. ⁓ that's awesome. I've seen it grow, you know, exponentially. I mean, you guys launched an event not too long ago.

That was like 200 and something people. And then this event. So I see some like early traction and I I see a lot of response right away. But before we get into the association, like take me back a little bit.

How did you get into like content creation? I know you guys were having a a a night at Calandra's that one day, but like how'd you how'd you s how'd you narrow it down into like Beralis Kelly: Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: All right, we're gonna focus on content creation.

Beralis Kelly: Yeah, you know, this started in my late twenties. I was just posting my outfits and then kinda Amazon blew up and I was posting my Amazon finds and ⁓ so it kinda just kinda grew. And then I I got married, I had my baby, I took a break, and we had COVID. COVID.

I had my daughter, then I was stuck at home with COVID, you know, with the pandemic. And I was lonely and I and I wanted to do something. So that's how friendsgiving happens. And then it just, like I said, it just grew into this community of content creators and small businesses, and we came together.

But I I really didn't know what the NJCCA was in the beginning. It it formed into something that I that I realized people wanted. And that's how that happened. I realize content creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses want to be in a space together.

They want to connect. They want to get relationships, form relationships and and community. So you know our our motto is community Henry Kaminski Jr.: ⁓ Yeah.

Beralis Kelly: connection collaboration and that's what's been happening. So this just happens. I mean I created something that I didn't know was a need and it's been wonderful. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Isn't it amazing when you actually put something out there that people actually want? I talk to my restaurant clients about this all the time when they struggle with sales. I'm like, well, what's your menu look like? And they show me the menu, and I'm like, Did you guys do any homework on like your menu to market match?

And they were like, What's that? And I was like, Well, Google like pizza near me and look at the Google trends and see how many. Beralis Kelly: Last. Yes.

⁓ Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: show up like how many ⁓ searches show up like that's a real thing market the menu match so it's no different than what you're doing here you're you you're seeing a need and you're feeling it and and marketing guys it's not that hard it's not Beralis Kelly: We a need. Yes. No, no, I just you know, it it it just it isn't that hard, but you gotta be aware, like, ⁓ something is here, something is here.

I'm gonna work on this, I'm gonna grow on this because something is here. There's people want this. After that Friendsgiving event, the amount of DMs I received was so touching that I'm like, ⁓ I I can't stop. This is not this wasn't just a one event thing.

People are my dearest friend Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. Right. Mm.

Mm-hmm. Beralis Kelly: Who was at the first event, she has been with me ever since. She told me how this experience changed her life because she was working from home, feeling down, not connecting with people. She lost her in-office job due to the pandemic and has been home.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: ⁓ Beralis Kelly: For her going out and meeting all these other vendors and people. She said, You just gave me a new light. You gave me a new boost to want to vend more, to want to promote my business more.

And it was like, Wow, you know. So a lot of people wanted that connection. They they kind of yearned it after COVID. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: ⁓ Yeah, people ⁓ my God. We were all chomping at the bit, you know, when things started to open back up. Because listen, there was a part in my life, you know, I have a little one too, not too not too ⁓ far from age as yours. And I you know, we got I was about halfway through it and I said to myself, there doesn't look like there's any end in sight here.

Like this could this go on for another year? You know, what are we gonna do? And then all of a sudden it started to pick. Beralis Kelly: Yes.

Yep. Henry Kaminski Jr.: you know, it started to open up again and that's when we just everybody was like letting the bowls out of the pen. We're going out to dinner every day.

Beralis Kelly: Yes. We were we were like, ⁓ okay, an event I'm going. ⁓ my god, I'm gonna bring that bottle of wine, you know, like we were ready to rock and roll. So I think this just gave people an opportunity.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. So as you're building the association, right? What's the hardest part that you're sort of working through right now?

Because I had I had mentioned to you when we first spoke, I said, you don't seem like the type that kind of just lays down and like gives up and says, I'm out of here. You know, it takes a bit for that to actually happen. Like, so what's what's been the struggle as you're as you're growing this thing? Beralis Kelly: Wow, good question.

well I do have I have ver I have a lot of grit in me. That's my Brooklyn roots. Born and raised Yeah, I'm from Williamsburg. ⁓ yeah.

Born and raised in East New York and then we we moved to Williamsburg. So I have that New York grit in me. So I don't give up. I don't take things like you know, lying down.

So I I I I go. I go for it. But the hardest thing has been is no one really knows who I am. You know, I'm not Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Me. What part of Brooklyn? nice. Mm.

Beralis Kelly: I'm not a celebrity or I'm not a person who has a lot of followers or I I'm just Birales and I wanted to do something. So I had to convince people, hey, I'm Birales, I'm starting this association and I would love to for you to come and be a part of it. So that's been the hardest part is that really no one knows me. I'm I'm just I'm just a girl, you know, like on Instagram, you know, doing something.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Mm. Yeah. Beralis Kelly: ⁓ fun and exciting, but I had to kind of convince people like, hey, I'm doing something fun here and something real.

I'm a real person behind the DMs. So that's been the hardest part is convincing ⁓ people. But people have been very receptive, very receptive with it all. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I I noticed that too. Like you don't you're not pushy. It doesn't feel like ⁓ you're you're trying to shove something down my throat or our throat, you know.

It's very natural the way you, you know, the way you approach. And I think that's that's really good. And and listen, you know, it comes with time. Like, you know, nobody knows who Borel says.

Well, nobody knew who Henry Kaminsky was. You know, and here I am 16 years later. You know, am I am I famous? No.

Beralis Kelly: No. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: But it took a long time for people to be like, ⁓ yeah, that's the that's the restaurant marketing guy. You know? So, you know, so it takes so be patient.

I can tell you that. And yeah, and keep doing what you're doing because this, what you're doing, is like a spider web. Right? The connections you're making, the events that you host, every event that you host, it's a couple hundred more people that get to, that you get to know.

Beralis Kelly: Yes, I know that yeah. Yeah, I gotta be patient because Mm. Henry Kaminski Jr.: And ⁓ that's huge, right?

Beralis Kelly: Yeah. It is huge. It is huge. But yeah, it's like a spider web and people are coming and more people are coming and then more connections are happening and more businesses are seeing the events like powerhouse and paramus.

We had over two hundred and fifty people there. The ⁓ studio at this the studio Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. The gym.

⁓ I thought it was a st I thought it was a gym. I'm I'm thinking powerhouse gym. There's there's a powerhouse Beralis Kelly: I know, yeah. Powerhouse is this ⁓ huge entertainment studio in Paramis and he does like events, productions, he has a game show, a huge space.

So we filled that space with over 250 people and And I met so many businesses like Wild Fork Foods and Pyramus. They were a sponsor. So that's been another great ⁓ thing. Like we're I'm meeting new th meeting new people, meeting new businesses and and so are the creators and the guests.

They're being exposed to Wild Fork, Obies, ⁓ powerhouse studios. Like everyone is experiencing new things and discovering new things. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Mm-hmm.

So let me ask you this, what kind of creators are we trying to bring together through the NJCCI? Beralis Kelly: all creators. All creators are welcome here. This is not just ⁓ if you have ⁓ you know three hundred thousand followers or a hundred thousand followers.

This is from fifty followers to whatever follower. If you're creating content and you're trying to create a community and you're trying to have a voice and be positive and and create and support people and support businesses, you are welcome to be there. Absolutely. It's it's for everyone.

Foodies, influencers, ⁓ entrepreneurs, all of them. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah.

So so we know, you and I know that the creator economy has exploded over the last, I would say, five to seven years, right? And ⁓ but but here's what I'm seeing still. Business owners, okay, I'm talking brick and mortar spots, mom and pops, things like that. They don't fully understand what the creator economy is.

Beralis Kelly: ⁓ yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: So, how do you explain what a content creator actually does for a small business? Cause I think that's really important to cover on this show.

Beralis Kelly: It really is. I think so too. So a content creator is basically a storyteller. They are telling your story, your business story.

They're showing the menu, they're showing the food, they're showing the products in a beautiful way through photos, through video, through a a beautiful script that they're saying, ⁓ through the music. ⁓ you know, they're they're Pretty much promoting who you are, promoting what you're what you have. You know, I see these creators when they first walk into the restaurant and it starts from outside, and I'm like, ⁓ that's a beautiful restaurant. I want to go there.

Just from the outside, the door and the sign, and the hostess with a smile when they record the hostess. I'm like, ⁓ I want to go there again. So they're they're telling a story of your space, of your product. And I and it doesn't matter again if it's ⁓ a Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Beralis Kelly: person with 50 creators or 50 followers or 50,000. You want a creator who believes in the product, who believes in the restaurant, and and you are communicating with that business owner.

It starts with the relationship from the beginning. It starts with the relationship. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah.

Yeah. So there's a lot of skepticism out there. And and you and I have to both break through it. And er all all the other, you know, creators out there had need to break through it.

A lot of folks like Bobby Flay, I bring this up on every episode, but Bobby Flay has a podcast. It's called Bobby on the Beat. And in the early episodes, he was bringing these influencers in, like bigger, bigger, bigger influencers, and he would quiz them on food and cuisine and and the industry. And some of them would fail with flying colors and some of them would kind of hold their own.

And the point that he was trying to make was, and and I this is why I love Bobby. You could love or hate this guy, but what I love about him, he was like, dude, I'm not trying to ⁓ humiliate you. You know, what what I'm trying to do is build up your what's the word? Your your reputation ⁓ and your credentials.

Beralis Kelly: Mm-hmm. Yes. Henry Kaminski Jr.: ⁓ and your and and actual your actual influence because I can hear business owners from here going, Okay, what makes you the expert on food?

And what makes you think you could come into my restaurant and judge it? You know, and that's a big question, you know. So the I I want to talk about that a little bit because it is a touchy subject. and we use a lot of influencer marketing with our restaurant.

Beralis Kelly: Mm-hmm. It is. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Clients.

We do. It's part of the repertoire of the marketing strategy. So I don't want anybody to get the wrong idea here that I'm like poo-pooing this. But yeah, it certainly works.

I mean, when we do creator nights and we do when we hand select the different influencers, we see a huge buck, a huge boost in reach and awareness. But it we have a strong strategy to kind of take that attention and do something with it, where I know a lot of restaurants struggle with that, but Beralis Kelly: ⁓ it works. Yeah. Yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Talk to me about the the credential and and how to approach that because i it is a big it's a touchy subject. Beralis Kelly: Okay. It is a tat tath subject.

So here's what I think that makes a good creator and a great creator. A great creator is doing research. A great creator is r is reading about the food and and talking to the the the chef, talking to the business owner, and does and actually does love food, knows what cilantro tastes like or oregano or ⁓ what the fish should be cooked like, right? Like I don't don't judge me, but I like my steak well done, right?

So I'm no foodie. I'm no foodie. I'm no foodie, guys. You know what I'm saying?

Like I I like my steak well done, no pink, but in reality that's not really how you're supposed to have your steak. So I'm not gonna be the one doing booing being a foodie. So you know, you have to know your food. You have to know how it's supposed to taste like and how it's supposed to be made and Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Yeah. Beralis Kelly: And talk to the chef, talk to the business owners. That's what makes a good creator from a great creator, is the research, is the the relationship with that and being authentic, being auth being known for being truthful and honest and and loving the food, right? Like, ⁓ wow, this is amazing, not just being sort of fake about it, you know.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Mm-hmm. Yeah. That is such a good point.

And so what I'm hearing you say is, you know, great creators are curious. Right? They're not trying to point they're not trying to position themselves as these ⁓ whatchall it, these like, you know, subject matter experts. What they're doing is we're having a we're going out to this restaurant, we're gonna have a good time, we're gonna film it, and we're gonna give you our take on it.

And the rest is up to you. And I think Beralis Kelly: Yes, yes, yes. Well. Yeah.

Yes. Yes. Henry Kaminski Jr.: That's the pr that's the approach.

And Beralis Kelly: Wow. Look at my emotions, look at the way I'm feeling while I'm eating this food. How how my body language it all that plays in. And if I'm happy, if I'm smiling, if I finish that plate, then okay, I did a great job there.

Like you said, it's there's there's also like a connection, maybe like an emotional connection to being a great creator where you kind of see these creators, you're like, ⁓ they they look they're real. Like that's that's not fake. That's authentic right there. You know this up.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Right. Right. You're not making this up.

So what's your take on follower count? Is it o you think it's overrated? Beralis Kelly: ⁓ for sure, 100%. Because it's reach, yes, reach fro you know, large followers gets you reach, but it's it's engagement that gets you trust.

It's the engagement that gets action. Are those followers buying your product? Yes or or no, right? So it's not a 30 a person with 300 followers can be posting great outfits, great recommendations for restaurants and people are going there.

It's action. It's not the number count, it's it's action. It's can that creator get the person to the restaurant? Can that creator get the person to click the link?

And it's yeah, it could be yes if it's just 300 followers. The people with a hundred thousand followers, maybe they're they're not clicking the link. Maybe they're not going to the restaurant that you recommended. So I think it's action, you know what Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Mm-hmm. Yep. Beralis Kelly: Can you c can you produce action? Can you produce something?

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. Yeah, half of those followers could be living in Jibib, you know, and right? So, you know, I had a Beralis Kelly: Yes.

Yes. Are your followers engaging, real, you know? So ⁓ Henry Kaminski Jr.: Right.

Right. I had a I had a friendly debate with a restaurant operator. This was going back a couple months, and ⁓ he was so hell-bent on working with influencers that had like a six-figure following. And I said, your math in your math is correct.

Like you think that yeah, the reach is big, so therefore your your engagement would be bigger than Beralis Kelly: ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: somebody that has a smaller following. But I asked them this question. I said, let's take a 100,000 ⁓ follower account and let's take a 5,000 follower count. 100,000 could be spread across the country.

You don't know where those real followers are. ⁓ the engagement is somewhat dismal. You know, there's some engagement there just by default, but like it's not real, it's not real authentic slash credible engagement. But you go you got this account that has 3500 or 5,000 followers.

Beralis Kelly: Right. Yeah. What, yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: And they have hundreds of comments. And right, genuine too. Like, can't wait to try that place, or I've been there a hundred times and I love this dish. And so you see all of that engagement.

I go, let's just say that smaller account comes in, features your restaurant, and you get an influx of like a thousand new covers that week. Like, would you even be able to handle that? Right? And they kind of looked at me and he was like.

Beralis Kelly: And they're local. They could be local. Yes, yes, yes. Mm, right, right.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Mm, you know, we would we would probably be a bit stressed out, you know? And I said, so there, there you go. Like you're so worried about the big follower count, but let's just say, let's say a hundred, let's say a thousand new covers came in that week.

Would you be ready? Would you be prepared? Would the food come out and the service be all there? You would probably be kicked in your ass if you got that.

Beralis Kelly: Yeah. Right. But you can try it. Yeah, and then then the problems arise.

But then, you know, so you right, like you said, you gotta be smart of who you're who you're choosing. But I also think the local followers are important. You know, find a local creator, a local foodie who knows the neighborhood, who knows the the mom and pop who wants to go out to eat, try something new. And the like you said, the comments are real.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I I just it's so funny. I was at the World Cup game on Wednesday.

It was so cool. ⁓ my God. What an unbelievable experience. And one of one of the restaurant owners, we go to this restaurant quite a bit with the family.

They're up in Franklin. It's called the Puglia. Really authentic Italian, fantastic owners, love them to death. I get a DM while I'm watching the game and my son's like hitting me, like, what are you doing?

Beralis Kelly: I saw. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: She texts me, she goes, after all these videos you post about Stonewater, I I had to bring the family to try it.

Like I had to just give it a shot. Being that we live in, you know, we live right down the road. She told so I she was like, What do you recommend? So I gave her a few things and she was like, Well, what about the tomahawk?

I was like, Well, it's Tuesday and it's tomahawk Tuesday. I would get it if I were you. So about a half an hour later, she sends me the play by play of everything she ordered, what was great, what what Beralis Kelly: Yes. Yes.

Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: She didn't like so much, you know, nothing public, right? But I was like, but she goes, all in all, this place was unbelievable.

And the cover must have been that check must have been at least six hundred dollars for what she what she ordered, right? Six, seven hundred bucks. Easy because the place isn't, you know, you don't go there every day. And and I just said to myself, this, and guess how many followers I have?

1,500. You know? So Beralis Kelly: Yeah. ⁓ that's nice.

Yeah. No ⁓ Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Go figure.

Now we're not gonna get into this, but at one point I had 187,000 followers and I and I the the account got crushed and killed and I had to start over. That's that's what I'm doing right now. But I'm so happy that I'm doing that because I made some mistakes in the past too. I I I created some connections with bigger influencers.

I started getting followers from all over the world, and I'm like, this isn't gonna help my business, you know? ⁓ but long story short, like that's a perfect example. Beralis Kelly: Yeah. Yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Right. You get you get a a micro influencer with not that many, you know, following, but they're making moves just to your point, right? They're actually getting out into the restaurants that you're hop that you're featuring.

Beralis Kelly: Yeah, yeah. One of the one of my biggest supporters and friends, Danielle, Realm of Vibes, she's local here, local content creator, 50k followers. She's so real, she's so authentic. And I always tell her when when you post, I only know stuff when you po because you post it.

Cause she she's so good at going to different spaces and and showing me the local pool or the the ⁓ Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Beralis Kelly: health food store in Chester.

So it's like they are showing you a lot of things. They are helping you look at what's in the community. So and and then I go visit them. Then I go visit that health food store.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. Yeah. They're your Yeah.

They're like your your n your local newspaper. Beralis Kelly: I say the content creators are the new word of mouth. The new word of mouth, right? Before we used to talk to each other, hey, I went to that restaurant, but we were face to face.

There was no texting or social media. But now the creators are the new word of mouth from their Instagram page, from their TikTok, from their Facebook. Anyway. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Yes, a thousand percent. Right. And it works, man. I you know, I I I I know a lot of people, like I said, I there's people that poo-poo it and people are who the hell you think you are?

And there's other people like, we swear by it, man. Every time we go in, you know, ⁓ you know, every time we go in on a on a campaign with an influencer, you know, we get that rush. We get specific orders being ordered, right? And and we know it came from that particular post, which is great.

I don't want to run out of time here because I feel like we can go at least another hour on the show. Beralis Kelly: Yeah. Absolutely. Yes.

Yeah. I think so too. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Such a great conversation, but I I do want to get into the summer social that you are putting together on July 11th, right?

It's gonna be hosted at the right. So let's talk about it. I I I I'm gonna like this is your world. So talk to me about what you are putting together here and so everybody can kind of expect, you know, what what it is.

Beralis Kelly: ⁓ yeah. Very exciting. One more. Claremont Distillery.

So Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Well, here's another thing that I I've been loving about the New Jersey Content Creators Association is meeting the businesses, meeting someone like Tim from Claremont, who's who created a beautiful distillery, who's been in the business a long time, and he reached out to me.

And we have a great relationship and it's just been so nice meeting different people and businesses. So he's in Hamburg, it's a right across the street from Crystal Springs. So that is if someone needs some of a point of view, they're right across from Crystal Springs. And we're going to just bring the fun to to the distillery.

We have a DJ, we have a piano player. ⁓ it's gonna be a lot of fun stuff, shopping, vendors, but it's just a time to celebrate. It's summer, it's come have a good time. ⁓ you know, tour the venue, look at the ⁓ distillery and what he does.

So it's just a nice time to get together with your creator friends, your small business friends, and we're gonna have the McLaren Club, car club there. So that's gonna be fun. Some McLaren car. So excited.

So it's just a great time to come and and enjoy yourself and meet other creators and create relationships and talk. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah, those cars are sweet.

Yeah. Why why'd you think the distillery was the right location for that event? Beralis Kelly: ⁓ it's so beautiful. It's it's up in the mountains.

It's out. They have a beautiful patio so we could be outside. And I think also the distillery world is really blowing up. So I think it's a great time to introduce the distillery and the crafts and the different types of you know drinks to the community and and show them like hey, there's different things to do.

You don't have to go to a bar, you can go to a distillery, you have a great time. And it's a beautiful location. So I think everyone's gonna have a good time being outside fresh air. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Yeah. Yeah, the product is absolutely mind-blowing, like mind blowingly good. ⁓ I recently put them in touch with one of my restaurant clients and they're doing they're the restaurant is actually switching all of their well drinks to Claremont. That's how good the product was.

So that that that's gonna be a huge, huge hit. ⁓ their peach vodka, their blueberry vodka, their bourbon, it's it's all top notch stuff. Beralis Kelly: Yeah. ⁓ I'm so happy.

So people. Yeah. A lot of people have not tried these types of things. So I think it's an exciting time to introduce the distillery world and Claremont to tons of people.

We are already at a hundred registered guests. So don't wait, guys. Don't wait to register. ⁓ you can go on the NGCCA Instagram page or Vembrite is on there.

Just it's it's free to come. You just have to register and it'll be a great time. Henry Kaminski Jr.: ⁓ my goodness.

So ⁓ talk to me about this. When somebody who's never been to a creator networking event before, like, what could they expect when they walk in? You know, I want people to get a get a little bit better of a picture of like what's kind of the run of show. Is there, is there a you know, is it is there a play by play, that kind of thing, or are they talk to us through that because that's that was even a little unclear to me when ⁓ Beralis Kelly: Yeah.

Sure. Well, when you first walk in, you'll see me waving at you and smiling and saying, Hi, it's so nice to meet you. Because I was in your DMs, you know, I was sending you emails. So you'll see me welcoming you in and you'll see a lot of smiling faces.

So Henry Kaminski Jr.: I love it. Beralis Kelly: Usually we like the first hour we're networking, you're talking to other people. There's vendors there, so you could do a little shopping.

We'll have some food tasting. Eddie is gonna be playing the piano, so it's gonna be a chill vibe. But you know, you you're gonna see some creative friends. So you'll probably see someone you know and talk to.

But there's gonna be a lot of people like you. So you could just introduce yourself and they're gonna be like, ⁓ maybe I I follow you, or I know who you are. So it's gonna be some Henry Kaminski Jr.: Mm-hmm.

Beralis Kelly: local jersey people but just be yourself say hi i'm you know so and so it's a very chill environment very chill everyone's it's such a friendly group of people but it's just meeting other creators and meeting potential small businesses that you can maybe collaborate with so the one thing that I want people to get from this is these events are opportunities these are this is an opportunity event Henry Kaminski Jr.: Mm-hmm. Beralis Kelly: Because there's gonna be entrepreneurs there that you can introduce introduce yourself to and say, ⁓ hey, if you need help making a video, I c I could help you or Even with Claremont, you can introduce yourself to to Tim and say, Hey, I'm I specialize in doing spirit drinks.

So if you ever need me So th these are opportunity events. Talk to people. There's gonna be someone there that you know or that you can help. And there's been a lot of examples of that from these events.

A lot of examples. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Uh-huh. ⁓ huh.

Mm-hmm. Should sh I'm sorry to cut you off. Should some small business owners consider going as well? Beralis Kelly: That's it.

Absolutely 100%. This is a content creator and small business summer networking events. So please come. It's it's great to be in the same room with a creator and to meet other small businesses.

Because the then you you go you grow your followers as well. You connect your Instagram accounts and that's another exciting thing too is growing your followers, growing your network. Henry Kaminski Jr.: It's it's a no pressure event.

There's not gonna be yeah, there's nobody gonna Right, right, right. You don't have to create content of the place to be there. Right, right, right, right. Beralis Kelly: ⁓ no.

⁓ there's no deliverables here. No. No. This is a no deliverables event.

This is event that I put together for all of us to have a nice time and just connect and and just create relationships. This is about relationships. That's it. It's about relationships.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. Yeah. Another cool thing that ⁓ Claremount is doing for the event is everybody that walks in the front door, as long as you're 21, you get a drink ticket.

So you get to try the product ⁓ with the drink ticket. ⁓ and I I think that's fantastic. That's a great way to get get the product into people's mouths. Yeah.

I don't I didn't want to forget that. ⁓ Beralis Kelly: Yeah. Yes, you get a drink. Yes.

Yeah. Yes, we're excited about that. Very excited for everyone to We shouldn't forget it. But yes, there is a drink ticket and then you'll be able to ⁓ taste the actu the award winning spirits and crafts.

So that's very exciting. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah, yeah, the guy has won some incredible awards, you know, with his blendings and things like that. And I mean, you have to see the the back of house for yourself and the yeah, it's really, really stunning.

And you could see how much like passion this man has for the product, you know. So and that that I always say, like, I am sold on how much someone cares about something. Beralis Kelly: Yeah, it's a wonderful space. Yes.

Yeah, yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: before I'm in love with the product. Beralis Kelly: Yeah, yeah, he's very passionate and that's really nice.

And that's we connected right away because of I'm passionate about what I do and he's passionate about what he's doing. So when two people are like that, it's really ⁓ fireworks happen. So wanna it's it's really coming along. Also, if you're planning a a wedding or if you're planning to have a party, come view the space.

This is a great opportunity also. If you're a new bride and you wanna look for a venue, come, you know, if wanna have a party. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Exactly.

Yeah. They have like they have space for up to like a hundred and fifty people. Like it's, you know, and these micro weddings are like a big deal now. Like they're they're getting a lot more popular and ⁓ you know, and it's a place that you can really you could you could transform it into something really, really cool.

It has a really great base to it, you know? Yeah. Beralis Kelly: ⁓ yeah. Yeah, they are.

Yeah. It really does. It's I'm very excited about it. Our DJ is gonna like bring the house down.

Very exciting. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Me too. It's like J July.

I love it. I love it. What time is so it's July eleventh and what time? Beralis Kelly: July event one to four.

One to four. And you're welcome to stay. They close at ten. So you're welcome to stay until whenever you want.

So but it's from one to four. We'll have ⁓ we'll have a guest ⁓ guest speaker. Would you like to please speak at our events? I forgot to ask you.

I would love to have you if you can. Yes, you. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Me?

⁓ okay, sure. That would be awesome. Beralis Kelly: So usually at our event we have a guest speaker. our last event was our productivity coach.

Before that, it was Danielle ⁓ Rama Vibes, who's a great content creator. Great content creator. She knows so much about the business. So she was our guest speaker at once ⁓ our second event.

Our first event, we had a photographer who taught us how to pose. So also you could also expect a guest speaker, and we do like special. Henry Kaminski Jr.: We gotta get Tim up we gotta get Tim up there for a couple of minutes.

⁓ Beralis Kelly: Yeah, Tim will speak. Tim will speak. I'll say a little something. But I would love to have you on as our guest speaker.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: ⁓ that'd be awesome. I appreciate the invite. Yes, I will be there.

Period. End of story. ⁓ so Beralis Kelly: Thank you. Thank you.

Yeah, awesome. Awesome. You could expect some swag bags and raffle prizes. So that's fine.

Yeah. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: boy.

I'm always down for a nice little swag bag, man. ⁓ The element of surprise. Beralis Kelly: ⁓ me too. Me too.

It's my favorite thing. Yes. Finding my favorite is finding the small business who wants to give swag. And I'm like, Yes, I love this.

Yes. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yep, you're in. You're in.

Do you know some of the can you can you mention some of the the vendors and sponsors? Beralis Kelly: Yes, ⁓ we have ⁓ my friend Tara who's a charcuterie vendor, she'll be there. We have a jewelry vendor. We have ⁓ a sourdough baker, Amanza.

She's gonna be having a sourdough grazing table. We have our our resident baker Angela from Sweet Blessing Spake. She's gonna have some custom cookies in the swag bag. And she'll be selling cookies.

We're gonna have an embroidery vendor there making live embroidery. That's gonna be a lot of fun. Yeah, so if you have like a t-shirt, you get a t-shirt, she's just gonna she can put your name on there. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: ⁓ very cool. Beralis Kelly: We're gonna have, ⁓ culinary Claire is gonna be there. They are a they make like sugar for the rims of the drink. Yeah, so she's gonna be selling their product and they're also gonna be making a signature drink for the event.

That's gonna be nice. So all types of vendors will be there. I'm still getting more coming in. Very exciting.

I'm working on a hopefully an axe throwing person. So if you're out there and you're wanna come, please, please contact me. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Okay.

Nice. That's awesome. I never, you know what? I never freaking did that before.

And I'm like dying to try it. But the axes and alcohol, like I know that's a but that no, but that's a big thing. I that's a big thing. Like people are like, no, you can't just axe throw without a beer.

And I'm like, okay. ⁓ Here I am like, I'm gonna I have to try anything once, except for skydiving, that I won't do. ⁓ Beralis Kelly: What's that? Yeah, that's true.

Maybe not all right for Alice. I don't think so. Yeah. ⁓ no, no, no.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Fear heights, not gonna get me jumping out of any any plane anytime soon. Yeah, for sure. I want to talk about marketing for a second, because it sounds to me that you have some chops in the event planning space, right?

And it sort of came naturally to you. And just because of your your demeanor, you you you're you you you be you were a medical sister for all this time. You always cared for people. Beralis Kelly: Yeah.

I like to stay close to the ground. Yeah. Mm. Yeah.

Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: And I feel like these events are bringing people together in that community sort of feel and vibe. And I love that.

But where do you start? Like, like, is like when you were when you were putting that other one together, it kind of came together sort of I'm gonna say coincidentally, but not coincidentally, because you put some intent and effort behind it. But like, you know, Tim comes to you and says, you know, we would love to have you, we'd love to sponsor a space for what you do. Beralis Kelly: ⁓ yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Like where do you start? Beralis Kelly: Yes. yeah, I Yeah, good question.

So it starts with the location. So Hamburg. I start in Hamburg. I contact all the Hamburg businesses and all the surrounding areas.

So I think it's Franklin, Vernon. So I start with contacting the local businesses and wanting them to get involved. And usually it's a yes because they they want to be involved in an event like this. So we we contact the businesses and once we get a sponsor, I announce it and I post their logo and I get some momentum going and we just got Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Uh-huh. Beralis Kelly: Got a sponsor last night. Sim1 Racing is sponsoring us again from Paramus. ⁓ twin twin monkey place sand club is giving us a free day pass.

So you just have to go out there and and email businesses and call them and DM them. And then when you get a sponsor or a swag bag, announce it, it creates momentum, it creates excitement, and more people want to be a part of it. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah.

Beralis Kelly: But it it definitely starts local. So start in ham, like if you're if my events like in Fairfield, I I contact all the Fairfield businesses. Then the next event was by me in Hackettstown. So I contacted everyone in Hackettstown.

So you got you start local. You get everyone local involved. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Right.

That's a great, great point. And I know like the first question that I used to get when I was doing when I was planning events for the sudden infant death syndrome center. So I come from a medical background too. I worked at Akitac Hospital for eight years before I got into this.

Yeah. I was in a I I planned and created fundraising events for SIDS. And it was it was tough. I mean, because it's a tough, it's a tough cause, you know.

Beralis Kelly: Wow. Yes, yes. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Right.

People are like, what is Sids? Is it real? Da da da. So it's not like, it's not like leukemia, right?

It it's it was a very tough sell. But the first question I always get was, all right, what does it cost? You know, like what are the sponsorship, you know, rates, you know? And it f I feel like you've kind of ⁓ negated that.

This is like, no, we're gonna you can here's your opportunity to shine. Here's your opportunity to get in front of more people. You know, all we ask you to do is show up. Beralis Kelly: Yeah.

⁓ yeah. shine yes to get your hands just you know even if you can't show up put your business inside that swag bag put a coupon in there okay a lot I get a lot of questions about that ⁓ if I can do a financial sponsorship get in the swag bag Henry Kaminski Jr.: Legal. Digal.

Beralis Kelly: Put your hair salon and with a coupon. Put a restaurant coupon in there for a free drink or a free appetizer. ⁓ so get yourself in the swag bag or donate a raffle prize. You get a special shout out the day of.

⁓ it doesn't cost anything. You could donate a basket of something or a tray of food. ⁓ someone's donating a cheesecake. I'm getting a cheese a cheesecake from ⁓ Cheesecakes by Jacinda.

She's gonna raffle a cheesecake off. That's a great she's not able to attend. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah.

Okay. Beralis Kelly: had a baby but she's giving me cheesecake so great marketing it's great marketing Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah, I mean, listen, when it comes to food and beverage, the quickest way to get that product into somebody's mouth is gonna be the best type of marketing you could get. So I always say, like, think of it that way, you know?

And and I love I love that. It's like somebody's getting a cheesecake that day, you don't know who it is. Beralis Kelly: Yeah. So if you're a restaurant out there and you want people to come to the restaurant, definitely come to the events, maybe sponsor it, add to the swag bag, and you'll get logo placement, you'll get marketing from me, social media posts, tags.

It's just a very easy way and efficient way to get your name out there. It's a great opportunity, a great opportunity for small businesses. Henry Kaminski Jr.: So let's talk about the NJA CCA like over the next few years.

I want you to paint this picture for us. Like, where do you see it going? Beralis Kelly: I could get emotional over this, but I really, I really want it to to help more people. I want there's so many people out there that need community now that they're missing relationships and they're missing opportunities to connect.

So I I really want more reach. My goal is to reach more people and To help more people and create more connections and create more collaborations. ⁓ I really want the NJCCA also to be like an education center. Like maybe teach some classes or get more guest speakers to teach marketing or video editing or how to speak properly to the camera.

There's there's so many things that someone who just started really doesn't know about editing their reel or putting advertising links. There's so much so I I'm hoping that it grows into something that gives more people things. You know, I can I can give more. I wanna give more.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Where does that come from? I mean, there's so many takers in the world, and and I feel like there's not an there's not as many givers. So talk to me.

Where did that come from? And you could listen, I'm not trying to, you know, ⁓ pry into personal, but but that comes from somewhere that doesn't necessarily, not everybody has that trait. Beralis Kelly: How? I agree.

I I think ⁓ it comes from a happy childhood, I guess. Like my parents were my parents gave me so much and ⁓ also my faith. My faith is a huge part of my life. My faith is everything.

So I think yes, I'm the youngest of four sisters. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so I think I just Henry Kaminski Jr.: Mm.

Okay. Mm-hmm. Now do you have any brothers or sisters? Ho Beralis Kelly: been this way my whole life.

I I like to give and and it makes me happy when s someone is, you know, getting something or, you know, it makes me happy to give. Henry Kaminski Jr.: That's awesome. What's your what's your nationality by the way?

Because I hear like an accent. No that's awesome. ⁓ that is awesome. That is awesome.

So our our my best friend for 25 years, he married a a Puerto Rican girl and their child was born three months before ours. So you want to talk about day one BFFs? It's John Luca and Dante, man. And ⁓ yeah.

Beralis Kelly: A Puerto Rican. I'm a New York Rican. I'm a New York Recon. A Brooklyn, Puerto Rican.

Yes. I love this. We have so much in common. We have so much in common.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: What say again? ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah. So but ⁓ I I and we've we've gone on vacations with them.

Like they are so they're so much fun. But yeah, that's that's awesome. That's awesome. ⁓ Beralis Kelly: Yeah.

I think also like my cr I think the Latin community is very giving too. Like, you know, we're just i affectionate people and happy people and we wanna be around people. So think it's it's just I mean, I'm very blessed. So I I I just wanna give back.

I just wanna give back. That's it. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah.

Yeah, the amount of community that the the Spanish culture, you know, demonstrates is very, very, very, very important. And and and you could see it. I was just down at the Portugu ⁓ Portugal Day for the weekend, last weekend in in Newark. ⁓ my God.

I mean, I ate like three times more than I should have. But you know, one thing about Ferry Street and and the Portuguese neighborhood down there, you know, the ironbound section is Beralis Kelly: Yeah. that must have been fun. Yes.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: It felt so safe. And that doesn't happen by accident. You know, that community there has been around for a hundred years plus, you know, and they kept it that way.

You know? Yeah. Inviting and safe. Like, you know, we're walking down the street, I got my eight year old with me, and I had no worries.

You know, so I just wanna emphasize community because I I I feel Beralis Kelly: Mm, hm, no Yeah, very warm, very safe. Like you said, warm and safe. I think. No, that's so nice.

Community is everything, yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: And I see that this this business of yours is just z if I had to talk about it, like what's what's one thing that stands out about the NJCCA? And I would say the amount of community that they're trying to wrangle together.

Beralis Kelly: Great. Yes, correct. And relationships. I think the the people that the the people that have been with me since Friendsgiving, we're still together.

They're still coming to the events. We're still talking in the DMs and text messaging and I'm sharing their content and I'm promoting them willingly and happy and happily. You know, so it's the relationships. It's it's the community, yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. That's huge. I meant to ask you, like, do you have any like help?

Or is this like me, myself, and I doing all this? God bless you. Beralis Kelly: This is me, myself, and I. Yeah.

For this event for this event, I did bring on ⁓ actually a local girl, Samantha. She's from Hamburg. ⁓ she's actually the founder of the Founders Community Club. So she does, she focuses on entrepreneurs and like small businesses.

So I brought her on to help me. So this event, yes, I have help. But usually it's just me and the DMs and the emails and cranking away. So yeah, yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: ⁓ my God. Cranking away. ⁓ my goodness.

All right. So this is the part of the show that gets fun. So not that we weren't having fun for the last 50 minutes, but the this is the rapid fire questions. Right.

⁓ so we gotta. If you don't know it, say pass and we'll come back to it. Okay. So one word that describes Beralis Kelly: Okay.

⁓ yeah, let's go. Okay, I'm ready. Henry Kaminski Jr.: The NJCCA.

Beralis Kelly: Ooh, one word. ⁓ I it's coming to my mind love, love, love. Henry Kaminski Jr.: ⁓ great.

One word that describes the New Jersey creator scene. ⁓ biggest ⁓ biggest myth about content creators. Beralis Kelly: Ooh, resilient. Resilient.

That it's easy. It's not. It's not easy. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Biggest mist biggest mistake creators make. Beralis Kelly: not ⁓ maybe not communicating enough with the owner, with the with the client. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Got it. ⁓ biggest mistake small businesses make with creators. Beralis Kelly: Again, I think it's communication. Like you gotta you gotta be communicative and and talk about your your needs and wants a little more.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: I think I know the answer to this one already, but follower count or trust? Beralis Kelly: Yeah, okay. Trust.

Absolutely trust. Trust turns into action. Yes. Yes.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: All day. There you go. There you go.

All right. Ready for this one? Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn. I kind of knew that answer.

⁓ best type of local business for creator collaborations. Beralis Kelly: Of course Instagram. I G is my platform. ⁓ I'm gonna say any business that's open to a content creator.

Any business any business that's open to get some creator help is is the client. So it could be a small business or a big business. A creator a creator can help you. For sure.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Love it. For sure. One thing every creator should have in their media kit.

Ooh. Finally. I wish I had like a bell. I wish I had like a bell to Beralis Kelly: Results.

Results. Results. Yeah, yeah. Ding ding ding ding ding ding.

Results. You gotta show your results. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: You gotta show your results and it's not just how many views your video got. That is one metric, but it is a vanity metric. So I want I that I'm so happy you freaking said that. ⁓ Beralis Kelly: That's right.

Again, it could be a three hundred follower or, you know, three hundred it's results, you know. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Absolutely. one thing every business should ask before hiring a creator.

Beralis Kelly: ⁓ let's see. ⁓ that's good. That's that's good. That's a good one.

Like I guess like what what can you do differently? What can you do differently to help me than maybe the other person said they could? You know, some people are better than others, right? Like in a way, but not in a like if they're if they're Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Mm-hmm. ⁓ I stumped her, I think. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Beralis Kelly: specialty is hair salon, then find someone who's a hair salon or a beauty content creator, not a foodie. So you should you should ask the creator what what's kind of your specialty? I need someone who does ⁓ who's good at video editing or who's good at talking over like the talkovers. Are you your good speaker?

You know, ask a little more questions. Find the right person for your niche. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Right. Right. Mm-hmm. The voiceovers, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. Yep. Yep. Absolutely.

Best networking advice. Beralis Kelly: just just smile and and and listen you know if you're nervous just listen sometimes you know you're nervous to talk but you could always smile you could always smile and and ask a question and just listen but don't be afraid you know just come in everyone is the same we're all nervous at events we we all are shy in a sense so just be yourself and smile Henry Kaminski Jr.: It's so funny. A as outgoing as I am, my wife wants to beat me over the head sometimes.

I get nervous at these events too. And one thing that helped me in the past was just going there with an open mind. Open mind, zero expectations, zero. I mean big fat zero.

And you'd be surprised when you leave there, how you feel. Beralis Kelly: Yeah, I think. Yes, yes. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, you're like, ⁓ wow, that was fun. That was good. I I met a connection.

I met one person that I connected with. So yeah, just Henry Kaminski Jr.: Every every every time. You know, I bit I used to go to these big conferences and my my wife would be like, You better come home with three clients.

And it's like, no, it's like, no, I can't go with that attitude because then it never happens. But if I just go and I'm shooting the shit, next thing you know, I'm sitting next to somebody and boom, you know, that's it. ⁓ most underrated part of hosting events. Beralis Kelly: Yeah.

Yeah. And you and you you connect. Yeah. Underrated.

⁓ what do you mean? What you mean by that one? Henry Kaminski Jr.: Like, ⁓ the one thing that I know the answer, but I don't want to give it the But the the underrated part of hosting events is, in my opinion, is the the relationships that are built from them.

Beralis Kelly: I think I'll not ⁓ my goodness, yes, underrated. You don't there's so many stories that I'm finding out now from these events. And we don't they're not that we're not talking about them. We're not because they're happening from this on the side, but there's a lot of connections at these events.

There's so many connections at these events. You don't know doing what. You that's where the con the conversations start. And but there's so many connections at these events, and maybe we're not talking about it enough.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Unbelievable. Like one real Yeah, I mean the relationship buildup, one relationship you make at an event like this in July eleventh could support your family for the rest of your career. Beralis Kelly: Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I mean absolutely I can have two quick ones. My first events at Friendsgiving, we had two vendors together, Cafe Confe and Handmade Suds by Nick.

Handmade Suds, her her real her real job works for Bowling Branch. So she invited Cafe Confe to Bowling Branch. Cafe Confe wind up getting a full-time gig at Bowling Branch. Okay?

Just from talking, from being together. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Can. That that's what I'm talking about.

You know, that's exact that's what I'm talking about. Beralis Kelly: Yeah, Eddie, my piano player, ⁓ went to Friendsgiving. I introduced him to Cece, Events by Cece, who's a a wedding planner, event planner. Eddie wind up playing at Cece's bridal expo.

Eddie gets a full-time gig at Calandra's. Yes, yes. So there's a lot of things that happen. So just come.

So just come to the end. Henry Kaminski Jr.: No way, There you go. There you go.

We crushed that. By the way, you and I both double teamed that question and we killed it. ⁓ Not patting myself on the shoulder, but yes, I'm so happy that we we we we crushed that question because people are like, I ain't going to that. That doesn't sound ⁓ that's not me, blah blah blah blah.

You'd be surprised. No. Beralis Kelly: Engine up too. We got proof.

We have proof here. You know, piano player getting a full time gig from his he has a he's a teacher, but he's has his gig now is Calandra's restaurant. Calandras is a major name in New Jersey and New York. All over.

So he'll be playing there. His he'll be playing as a musician. Amazing. Yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: That's awesome. All right. I gotta again, I I feel like we can go another hour, but we gotta start to wrap this up, right?

Are you done yet? What let me ask you this, what makes someone memorable in a room? Beralis Kelly: I know. My my daughter's coming.

My daughter's looking at me like, Mom, Mom are you done? I'm hungry. Yes. the smiling and the you know, being friendly and being warm.

I think being warm is is important. You know, you might see one who's see someone who's a little nervous. Just go up to them and and being warm and being yourself, being authentic, being authentic, being who you are. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Mm-hmm. No. What's bet what's better? Polished content or real content?

Beralis Kelly: I like a little bit of both, but I I like a little bit of both, but I think real content is is good. Is real. Yeah, real content. People wanna hear the truth.

They wanna hear the truth. They don't want to be sugar coated. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah.

We are in a real content world right now. And it's they really do. And they they want Exactly. ⁓ what should people stop doing on social media immediately in your opinion?

Beralis Kelly: ⁓ boy, what is the ⁓ bashing, bashing. The bashing, the bashing. I don't like the bashing of the restaurants. I don't like it.

I don't like the bashing of the restaurants. These are these are mom and pops. These are husband and wife duos. These are people, these are real people behind restaurants or behind businesses.

Give them, give ⁓ a send them an email. Send them a DM first. Please, please stop bashing. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Yeah. Beralis Kelly: Stop bashing your your neighbor. Your you know, just send them a DM. Hey, I I went today and I don't I think you guys were a little off.

Just be friendly and just send a DM, send an email, you know. Maybe call the restaurant and say, hey guys, I I love going to you, but say something was off, or you know, I I think we should be a little more ⁓ hu hum human, like Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. Yeah.

Do them Mm. Beralis Kelly: T talk more instead of going online and on TikTok and being mean and saying these things, give somebody the benefit of the doubt first. You know? It's yeah.

There's real people behind these businesses, you know. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I absolutely. And if there's a way, if there's a teaching moment somehow you can create out of it, it goes a really long way.

It really does. Beralis Kelly: Yes. It you know, these businesses have employees, so I think about that too. You know, hey, if you're bashing a restaurant, people are not gonna come or then then bills can't be paid.

So I think be a little ⁓ grace gracious. Be a little gracious first before you bash. I think that's I think we should stop bashing and you know, talk a little more. Yeah.

Yes. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Right. Mm.

I love it. Two more questions. One creator trend you're tired of seeing. Beralis Kelly: ⁓ boy.

Hmm. ⁓ that's a that's a good one. You stumped me on that one. You stumped me on that one.

I don't maybe I'm following some good creators. I'm not sick of what they're seeing, what they're posting. ⁓ I guess like the bashing or like ⁓ going going to a place and then like reviewing it right away. Like Henry Kaminski Jr.

: Yeah. Beralis Kelly: You know, just again, just give it a moment. Like you know, it takes some time. Like some maybe they're having a bad day and they didn't, you know.

Or also saying everything is fantastic. ⁓ this is the best place. This is the best place. This is the best place.

Not everything is the best. Henry Kaminski Jr.: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Where's my bell? Where's my buzzer? I mean my bell. Beralis Kelly: Yeah, like stop saying everything is I'm obsessed with this place or you be authentic, be authentic.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Be a little authentic, yeah. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: That's it for ⁓ that's it for me. That's it for me. I love it. Okay, so before we wrap, I want people to I want people to know specifically where they could go and sign up for the July eleventh summer social at the Claremont Distillery.

Beralis Kelly: Okay, great. So you could sign up on my ⁓ Instagram page, NJCCA. The link is in the bio. You can go right to Eventbrite and just type in Claremont Distillery and find it right on the Eventbrite website.

Or you could DM me and I'll send you the link. So you could either DM me and my Pri my personal page, which is Lifestyle by B, and I'll send you the link. Or you could just go to the NJCCA Instagram page and I can I can DM you the link. Yeah.

Henry Kaminski Jr.: Sim super simple. Beralis Kelly: Very easy. Yeah.

And it's free. Like I said, you just have to register. 'Cause we have a headcount and we're gonna need it. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: You are determined that Puerto Rican in you Beralis Kelly: Can't need it. Yeah, yeah. We're money in the people, so we're we're good. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: I love it. I love it. I love it. Barals, what a pleasure to spend this kind of time with you.

Because we we did we have been communicating online and you know, we had a quick call the last week and you know, it was all business. And like this was just such a ⁓ you're very welcome. And it's it's been a pleasure working with you and helping marketing this event. It is going to be a fantastic event.

⁓ Beralis Kelly: Thank you. Yes. Thank you, by the way. You've been so helpful.

Thank you. You have that wonderful. Yeah, we're gonna have great day. Henry Kaminski Jr.

: And I can't wait. So go to the NJCCA Instagram page. The eventbrite link is in the bio. Go sign up for this.

This is going to be a fantastic event. We will both be there, obviously, supporting the event and ⁓ connecting, connecting with great people and and and showcasing a phenomenal venue. So there you have it, guys. Another episode in the books.

Beralis Kelly: Instagram. Great time. Yes. Yes.

The supporting film. Yeah. Henry Kaminski Jr.: This one will be out real soon.

⁓ appreciate you watching, appreciate you listening. If you found some value out of this episode, make sure you tag me and share it and share it, share this with somebody else that you think could get value out of it. Cause there was a lot of great conversation in this episode. And I I want you to take one little nugget from it and apply it and watch what happens to your business.

So that's all I got for you guys. I hope you have an amazing day. Appreciate all the support. Love you guys.

And I'll catch you on the next episode real soon. Take care.