Ryan Alford [00:00:05] Hey, guys, welcome to the Radical Company podcast. It is podcast Thursday. Super excited about today's episode. I've got Meagan. Hi, how are you today?

Meagan Heinz [00:00:21] Yes, thank you. I'm excited to be here. j

Ryan Alford [00:00:25] We're going to get into Meagan's story, do a few icebreakers like we've been doing in past episodes. So we were actually doing an event. We're going to get a degree during Fashion Week, everything that is Meagan's story we're doing and yesterday. And Facebook and Instagram…. 

We just learned the power, how much true power these channels have and events and everything else. Crazy, right? Would your mind be like your head explode like. We did see some of the models. I think they were losing it a little bit. 

Meagan Heinz [00:01:09] They couldn't post that photo immediately. So they had to save it for later when it was back up. 

Ryan Alford [00:01:13] And so Facebook, Instagram, we do rely on you! We were doing these LIVE, but we don't anymore. But it is so crazy actually; do a story with Isaiah Robinson following today's podcast about that very thing and how we actually have to talk to each other when we can't digitally.

Meagan Heinz [00:01:34] I can't text or dm you on Instagram!

Ryan Alford [00:01:38] Yes, that is how we are as humans and what we're forced to do. What would happen if social media was just one way? 

Meagan Heinz [00:01:47] I think people would be totally lost completely, not knowing what to do or their average daily life would not function without social media. 

Ryan Alford [00:01:52] Think about how much is done through Facebook from an event management perspective like signing up to the LIVES. 

Cool. I'm super excited to have you. And I know we've got pretty diverse listeners and viewers on our YouTube channel and we're right in the thick of Greensville Fashion Week  - your baby. But as we get started, I'd love for you to tell everyone just Cliff's Notes version of your background and where you grew up and what got you into fashion. I know you've got a modeling background, all those things, but I'll turn it over to you just to give a little background.

Meagan Heinz [00:02:55] Well, believe it or not, I'm actually from Dover, Delaware originally. So I'm from a military family and was born on an Air Force base up there. My dad and my mom are both from the upstate originally. So we moved back when I was three. So I claim Greenville in upstate as my hometown. I grew up actually in Easley, South Carolina. I know your father-in-law actually taught me how to drive a car. We've talked about that before. So I am an easy-going girl, very small town. And I actually went to the College of Charleston and then came back. And I now live with my husband in downtown Greenville. So I've seen Greenville grow over the years and it's just flourishing and changing and just booming. I competed in pageantry in the Miss America organization, was the best director for Miss America, went on to win Miss South Carolina, United States, and we competed in place in the top ten at the Miss United States and in D.C. Given my age here was seven years ago. I grew up dancing gymnastics. So I think a combination of everything in my background and being at College of Charleston when Fashion Week first started and just seeing that blossom and grow as a staple event, I wanted to bring that back here to my hometown in Greenville. And just again, as I said, it's a culmination of everything between dance events, pageantry, fundraising, non-profit. So everything that you go through in life, I think puts you to where you're supposed to be. And I think that right now is making Greenville Fashion Week a staple event right here in Greenville.

Ryan Alford [00:04:18]  I love it. So Delaware, yes. I can name like you were going to name one state. I know the least about it would be Delaware. 

Meagan Heinz [00:04:27] Not many people know very much about Delaware. There's is very, very small. There's not a lot there. So I was three. So I don't I don't remember much but that's where I was born. So Memorial Hospital in Dover. So it's part of my story.

The Miss America organization is a scholarship program. So there's public speaking, a private interview being quick on your feet. Again, it gives you I was a dancer, so it gave me a platform to showcase my talent. And it's just the working out is a lot of work that I think people don't realize often. But I'm very thankful and that is part of my background. But like I said, there's good and bad with everything. 

Some of my best friends are girls that I met because you are so similar competing. And there's also some girls that just can never get past that competition. And just even though we're not competing in pageants anymore, they just continue to want to compete in life instead of just collaborating and supporting each other. 

Ryan Alford [00:06:39] Aright. One interesting fact about pageants, and that may be and I know we talked about how much more people appreciate the work, but what's one like behind the scenes inside or pageant fact that maybe people don't know? 

Meagan Heinz [00:06:57] This is actually very, very comical. But ABC actually filmed 2020 backstage at Miss South a couple of years ago. So we had the worst opening number she ever had. So there is actually tape that you tape around your toes to keep your toes in place in your shoes. And then there is actually it's called Bucklew. It's called firm grip and it keeps their swimsuits in place. So people don't know that that is actually a thing for swimsuits backstage. And you make friends really fast backstage, too, because you're just helping each other. But yeah, it's firm grip like glue, 

So it's definitely a pageant essential and every girl has to have it. And what about the tape? So you tape your toe so it keeps your toes in place so they don't slide like in your shoes because you're standing on stage for hours and hours. So it's the things you would never think of that ever. 

Ryan Alford [00:08:00] What’s the funniest thing that's ever happened behind the scenes in the past, anything crazy spills are like, 

Meagan Heinz [00:08:09] Well, as I said, I was the process director for myself, Toronto for three years and then for Miss America for one year. So we had one hundred and eighty-nine kids for a week backstage in tight quarters. So we actually had one that threw her stuffed animal on the rafters. And then when that also just had to go to the bathroom really bad on stage. And so it was that I really did happen 

It was not streamed live on TV, thank goodness. But that was probably one of the biggest, I guess funny. But they're enjoyable. And like I said, it taught me a lot and I wouldn't be who I am without my background in the pageant world. So there's good and bad in everything.

Ryan Alford [00:08:51] So Miss South Carolina United States? What's the deal and what's the distinction there? 

Meagan Heinz [00:08:57] So I guess there are many systems, but three majors. So Miss America is the one that actually grew up in the scholarship organization, actually was a finalist in Teen and Miss for that one. And then there is Miss USA, which Donald Trump used to own. And then Kaitlyn Hanegbi competed at Miss USA together. And then there's the United States, which is a combination of the USA and America together to kind of tie it all together as well. So it's confusing to the average person. 

Ryan Alford [00:09:23] It's actually when you think about any other sport or anything else, you have all these divisions. So it's if you're close to it, I'm sure that it followed went something. 

Meagan Heinz: It opens doors for networking opportunities and things like that. So it was an awesome experience. It's something that I always treasure the memories of, looking back and again, putting that on your resume. It's just an honor. And then I actually grew up competing. I said, I actually have a pageant business online as well. And we make crown boxes. So there was a need for. Travel with your crown, so we have boxes that we make that can be customized, have mirrors on the inside, and then we ship them all over the country. 

Ryan Alford [00:10:08] Talk about industries that joke sometimes radical being a marketing agency. We work with some random stuff for this. Like stuff that you wouldn't think like. There's a product to be brought. So we're designing crown boxes to be able to customize…

Meagan Heinz [00:10:29] We do their custom at the nameplate so you can put different colors, mirrored acrylics on them, different color beads. So it's actually you get to have a say so in the box that you carry, which is kind of cool to find. So our website is crowned with an ad for StikDotcom. Com. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and then we do custom apparel, all kinds of stuff. 

Ryan Alford [00:10:51] So let's talk about fashion. What was the inspiration also? You talked about a little bit in your background, but like you coming up through beauty and fashion and pageants and things like that, I'm sure you were close to it. Like it's part of that culture. So I'm sure that some of the words were, did the passion come from fashion, which ultimately culminated with fashion? 

Meagan Heinz [00:11:18] So growing up, I've always loved fashion, actually, and I'm a bargain shopper, too. I love to find a bargain and make the most fashionable outfit and it did not cost a fortune. So from the time I was a teenager, I was always voted best dressed in high school. I just loved fashion as a whole. So when I was at College of Charleston as well, Charleston Fashion Week was coming into inception. And so I actually saw it from when it first started to see it flourish over the years in Greenville, again, as I said, has just boomed over the years. So I wanted to bring that back to Greenville to give the town a staple hub there. So many national retailers right here in Greenville that people often forget. And just giving dancers, emerging designers, local retailers a platform to bring them together to truly make an impact in the fashion community here in Greenville. 

Ryan Alford [00:12:04] What are some of the designers that you like and follow? 

Meagan Heinz [00:12:10] Well, I love Chanel. I'm a heartbroken girl, he passed away. But that's one of my I love Tory Burch. Millie from New York. It's cool to see how their take. Everybody has their own spin on fashion. So it's really cool to see how their vision comes to life. And that's with our emerging designers is really cool. Someone may have a white gown and someone may have a red and it's just whatever their mind in their creative on-set designers. It's just really cool to see that come to life in fashion. 

Ryan Alford [00:12:38] We do planning this management like some other things. So I know the pain and the challenge of that. How does one undertake the spectacle of what this is like? How did how to get from A to Z to pull this off? 

Meagan Heinz [00:13:13] It's very time-consuming and it is a huge task. But I think when you're passionate about something and you love doing it, you can take on anything. But like I said, it takes a year to plan it. But I actually studied there about ten different fashion weeks throughout the country that I actually study. And I took bits and pieces of what worked and what didn't work, what I thought Greenville has its own niche in its own market, knowing what would do well here in Greenville and last year was laying that foundation and figuring out, “OK, we can do this, let's not do it this year, how we can do it better”. But again, in pageantry and event planning, my background is actually marketing. I did marketing and business development and actually helped build a company here in Greenville, in Charlotte. So starting from ground zero, I'm used to doing that. I was a dancer, so I knew the entertainment production aspect of things. So having my background and all of that and then just putting it on a piece of paper and then just laying out what we're going to do and making sure everything and I'm very organized. So that definitely helps us.

Ryan Alford [00:14:13] Talk about some of the details this year. There's always this pressure, right? You've got to meet what you did last year and take it to the next!

Meagan Heinz [00:14:28] And that's why everyone said it was so great. And I'm like, how are we going to top this was our first year? And people, it was incredible. We have to top that this year. So there is pressure, but it is going to be in better shape than it was last year. So I'm very excited to see everything, all the planning on the runway. 

Ryan Alford [00:14:41] Let's talk about dates. We're here on the 14th of March. What's going on between now and fashion? 

Meagan Heinz [00:14:54] The next thing that we have is actually our Top Model interviews on March 30th and our model training day on March thirty. First, I think you and I were talking about it earlier. There were over three hundred models that auditioned. And then we have thirty semi-finalists competing for Top Model and they'll actually do their private interviews, their portfolios. They'll be judged on walking during training day and then we'll cut to the final 12 that'll actually get to compete on the runway. So that's really cool. We'll train the models, we actually have the longest runway in the southeast, which I'm very proud of. But we'll actually take that off. Ninety-six feet so the girls can get used to seeing how long they're going to walk because it is very intimidating - the first time in rehearsals when you step on there and see how far you have to walk with lights in the audience. And then the next thing that we have coming up, so our charity partner is actually auctioning. I love dogs and I think our dog show last year was. I don't know if you saw video footage from it, but it stole the show. I actually had a pug get loose on the runway. He wasn't done. He wanted to walk himself back on the runway, but we partnered with Greenville Drive. So it's “Bark in the Park” and we're searching for Greenville's top dog so you can pay thirty dollars. All that goes back to auction for your calls and then we'll actually be judged. And then twelve dogs will get to walk on the runway and then we'll announce a top dog as well. So one fun thing that we did last year was our top cocktail. Greensville is such a foodie town, so getting the restaurants involved so they each have to put their spin on the little black dress. So from April 1st to the 15th, they'll be available at the restaurants and then you can go online to our website to vote for your fan favorite. And then on the 15th, we'll have a little black dress cocktail party and then we'll announce the signature cocktail for Fashion Week. So lots of events leading up to the main event.

Ryan Alford [00:17:07] How do you buy tickets?

Meagan Heinz [00:17:08] So if you go to GreenvilleFashionWeek.com there is a tab for tickets. 

Meagan Heinz [00:17:19] This it's actually local retailers being showcased in the best of Greenville. Meghan and Jamarcus are emcees for that night. And then all of our models, there were no size or height requirements. So it was an inclusive night for everybody to be able to participate and walk the runway. The fashion industry is ever-changing and we are being more lenient. 

But giving people the opportunity to participate and be a part of Greenville Fashion Week on that Wednesday night. So I'm excited for that this year since it's a new edition. 

Ryan Alford [00:18:21] I am uper impressed with what you pulled off. Super excited to be part of your team, the Radical team. We're excited. There also this side or it's interesting to me with Instagram, you're everyone's kind of an Instagram model - students, the model and people over 300 applicants this year now, is their money? Is this a career opportunity for all these Insta models? Like we're like where's really the opportunity? Because I think so much of there's so much fake out there with all the stuff and like knowing what's real, I am just really curious and would like to get your perspective - if you're not like that one percent model. But I do just wonder, from a business standpoint - where is this going for a lot of these models, these people?

Meagan Heinz [00:19:38] So one thing, another edition that we're adding. So Grayson Granger, one our top models, and then she actually went on to sign with Directions agency, and then she's been on the cover of several magazines and modeling opportunities that have stemmed from this from the exposure. But we actually bring in agencies at a discount. So even if you're not a top model, you may get signed. It's just whatever they're looking for when they meet you if they like your look if you're presentable, professional when they speak to you. So there are opportunities for them to get signed. But again, the ball is kind of in their court and brings their A-game when those scouts are there in the audience. So definitely it gives them an opportunity. They get photos to build their portfolios. Like I said, the agencies, the experience, the training. So there is a benefit to it, and again, it's just whether or not, an Instagram model, but a true model if there were going to sign you or not. 

Ryan Alford [00:20:30] What distinguishes one from the next? 

Meagan Heinz [00:21:01] So that's one thing I love our top model competition. It's a combination of many things. As I said, it's the interview because there are brand ambassadors and most models sometimes are pretty and they can't speak. So it's very important to me that they actually can represent me in public and then the portfolio. So one model may have a great look this way, and that's the only look that she can do. So to make sure that they are diversified, they can wear a ponytail, they can wear a wig and their facial expressions. So that's what separates the two when you're looking at that, to see their talent when they're working with photographers and of course, their wall, because some people are drop-dead gorgeous and they cannot walk in a pair of heels. So you have to have the full total package. So be able to work on camera. I mean, walk in a pair of heels to work the runway to have that personality and again, just to have the look that we're looking for. So in that case, I think with agencies, too, when they're sending girls to make sure that they have that they're diverse in what they actually can do. 

Ryan Alford [00:21:57] What's the future for Greenville Fashion Week? Like, what's your crystal ball say for the next three to five years? 

Meagan Heinz [00:22:06] Well, I just got married three months ago. So and again, we'll have a family not in the near future, but sooner than later. And I just love event planning. So it's something that I want to take Greenville fashion, whether it be corporate event planning, private event planning, taking that and just seeing Greenville family truly grow and flourish. We have Artisphere and euphoria and they are stable events, NSW here in Greenville. So I think we will. Fashion Week made its mark last year and it's well on its way to becoming a staple event and just seeing people come from all over from Greenville to attend Greenville Fashion Week. So that's when we have people from Kentucky, Florida that actually come in for this. It's a really cool feeling that people will recognize and they know what Greenville Fashion Week is. So I'm excited about that

Ryan Alford [00:23:06] What do you think of all this growth? We're talking about bringing Fashion Week like if you'd told me 15 years ago, there'd be a pretty brutal fashion in my life. Now it makes total sense and it's even booming in so many other areas. 

Meagan Heinz [00:23:28] It's crazy to me. I'm from Easley. So I had to come downtown while my high school. And you didn't go past the Greenville News like that was the forbidden area, but you did not go down there. And now it’s where everything is happening. I think the drab stadium definitely helps with the economic impact that they may have made there. And just the growth is really cool. I was reading an article today about the convention center that we're possibly going to be getting here downtown. So it's cool. I just hope that we don't grow too soon, too fast, and that we don't lose our small-town vibe because the people here, I think, are what makes our city so special. 

Ryan Alford [00:24:01] So I suppose it is like that blessing.

Meagan Heinz [00:24:08] We have so many hotels now. And that's actually for Fashion Week. Every Eric church is in town, actually the week and Fashion Week as well. Every single hotel is sold out downtown. So downtown is going to be crazy.

I think it’s great to see Greenville continuing to grow. And like I said, there are so many opportunities like a melting pot too now. So many restaurants, so many extra-curricular places we now have, which is exciting. 

Ryan Alford [00:24:59] Well, I really appreciate you coming over. 

Meagan Heinz [00:25:01] Thanks for having me in partnership with Radical. We're very excited. 

Ryan Alford [00:25:06] Well, I'm really excited to have Meagan Heinz on today's podcast. Check it out on all the channels. If you're looking to follow any of the stuff, I'm going to ask Meagan to name it again. Where can we find Rainbow Fashion Week online? Where can we find all your social channels? 

Meagan Heinz [00:25:30] So we are Greenville Fashion Week.com on Instagram. We are at GVL Fashion Week. And then on Facebook, we are Greenville Fashion Week. And then again, just make sure that you're looking for that green logo every single time. So it's GFW in the spotlight!

Ryan Alford [00:25:43] So they have to be awesome. Really enjoyed today's podcast. Check it out on all the channels. Follow Radical_results on Instagram and radical.company online. We'll see you soon.