Speaker 1: 0:11

All right, Well, welcome back to the Vero Beach Podcast. We are here with Danielle and during this part part three we're going to talk about why Vero and what do you love most about Vero. So, Danielle, I'm just going to hand it right over to you what do you love most about living in Vero?

Speaker 2: 0:24

Beach. What's not to love about Vero? I guess it's the only right answer, right? I really think that it's almost like stepping back in time a little bit. You know, on how you look at it, there's a lot of places that were small town, had a lot of small mom and pop businesses and just don't really have that anymore. But somehow Indian River County has preserved a lot of that.

Speaker 2: 0:45

And so, listen, I love a good chain restaurant, don't get me wrong and there's a lot of locals who either own those chains or locals who work at those chains, so we support them as well.

Speaker 2: 0:52

But to have the concentration of mom and pop stores is really incredible, and to have the support for those stores as well is incredible. So that's probably my favorite thing. A close second would be how people always will lend a helping hand and the majority of people are safe really to be around, like I'll come help you and you won't get stuck in a white van that says candy on it. You will be in good hands and people really do help, and I've even seen it with Vero Beach Neighborhood of people say you know, we make sure we vet the people who need help, and then I put up an anonymous post and I'm like listen, we need to help for X, y and Z reasons, and the outpouring of support is incredible and I'm always very impressed by the community and they're very selfless in how they give and want to help, so that's probably my favorite thing.

Speaker 3: 1:38

That's something I wanted to talk to you about. I'm glad you brought it up that. I've noticed several posts. One specifically that really touched my heart was a woman and she said I'm elderly, I am on a fixed income, there's something wrong with my air conditioner, and like right away, just answer after answer after answer, and it was a air conditioning company that went out there right then and fixed it and I just was like that is special. I've never seen that happen. We've lived in a handful of cities, smaller always, but I've just never seen that happen before.

Speaker 1: 2:07

Nothing like Vero.

Speaker 2: 2:08

Yeah, it is very, very special and that's why it's super important to me, not only to preserve what Vero has always been. But you know, a lot of people are like get out of here new people or get out of here snowbirds. I'm like this is like the dumbest thing you could possibly do, because what's going to happen is people are super excited to move here. If you are rude to them or you don't welcome them, just they're sponges. They're ready to say like, how does it work down here? We love it, we're going to live there. And if you're always rude to them, they're going to be like you know what, forget that and they're going to do whatever they want to do.

Speaker 2: 2:44

And what you're doing is you then are manifesting, you're chipping away at the fabric that you're so desperately trying to hang on to, and so that's where one of the keeping Vero exactly how it is, with appropriate genesis, right, but then including people welcoming people, saying, hey, welcome. This is how we do things. It's a lot of fun, we support each other, and they go this is great. And then they do that too, but if they continue up, they're not getting the building under control. So it's not something you can not. You're going to have to face what's happening, right, and so how do you preserve then great old-fashioned Vero with all of these new people who have no idea what it was either ever like so?

Speaker 1: 3:16

do you know Ray from Indian Distillery?

Speaker 2: 3:17

I do. They're great.

Speaker 1: 3:19

Yeah, he has a wonderful and yeah, I think he said it best in the episode with him. He said that this is the world's largest Mayberry and we learned so much about the history of Indian River County that we had no clue about. And that's the beautiful thing is to be able to. How do you preserve that and hand it down to new people that do move in, Because new people are going to move in and do they call it like old Florida? Is that kind of like the I would say so.

Speaker 2: 3:43

I know like we've visited some places before, but Vero even still is still even more niche than just old Florida. It really is. You can use that yeah.

Speaker 1: 3:51

And to see so many local businesses. I was blown away by how many, Though we've been coming here since 2014. Yeah, At that time we thought downtown Vero was down beachside.

Speaker 3: 4:00

Beachside. Yeah, we thought that was downtown.

Speaker 1: 4:01

And then we found out I think it was in 2022, there was a Vero Beach downtown where I guess close to where we are right now, and I'm like, wait a minute, how many downtowns are there? I just don't understand enough about the community, but we're learning more about it and it is so unique, so unique, and the support is like you said, shauna, it's very welcoming.

Speaker 2: 5:05

So, Danielle, what are some as we're?

Speaker 1: 5:06

learning more about this area. Do you have any hidden gems or businesses, or local? Well, you've already told us about local events, but any businesses or gyms that you would like to share with us, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2: 5:15

I think it would be weird, as the VBN lady, to sound like I was singling any one company, but I will say this there are, regardless of what lane you're in, what niche, what activity, what food you like, there are a ton of super reputable local businesses. So for pizza, you have your pick really of really great, great pizza places. And there's a bunch of new ones that just opened one on 14th Avenue, one on Old Dixie, there's like legacy pizza places off 27th, like there's a bunch of different places that you know people can go. And so I always tell people that you should make a list. So you're always welcome to come to VBN and make the new post.

Speaker 2: 5:54

We encourage that because then it gives people a chance. Like you can ask for pizza as many times as you want, you can ask for air conditioning as many times as you want, because then everyone's like here's the company we would recommend. And then it's this constant repetitive behavior of listing these people's business names, behavior of listing these people's business names, which is great for them, right? So we love that. But I always say tell people to make a list. So if you want pizza, just go down the list of all the pizza. Try them all.

Speaker 1: 6:19

Try them all, you will have your favorite, but then you have your backup favorites and you're here, we have company, we want these and we want that, and so once closed you're so right, cause I've already got pizza places I love, already got backup pizza places. And then there's, I keep seeing more pizza places.

Speaker 2: 6:32

Yeah, you got to try them all. Yeah, I mean, you can't really do that necessarily with, like, air conditioning companies or contractors unless you have a problem with one, or they go, you know whatever it is.

Speaker 2: 6:41

But I have actually dabbled in a couple of different of the larger contractors and really the majority of them are fantastic human beings and you want to support them because they're just really kind, they explain anything, no one's tricking you into anything, and as many businesses as possible that you can support is always my advice. Don't wait until something closes and then be like, oh gosh, I love that place. Well, if you love that place, you got to go spend money at that place, because if you don't, that's how they stay open. So even if you're like, what's my $5 doing, your $5 could make or break that person's total for the day. So, whatever it is and the majority of the stores the VBN Beach Shop and Gifts included has a variety of stuff and a variety of price points, and so even Beachside variety of price points. So go support somebody, something somewhere, all the time.

Speaker 1: 7:29

I would also encourage people like even your Google reviews don't be so loose with those Like those matter so much when it comes to businesses as well, you know, I know our son. He's not over there.

Speaker 2: 7:42

I looked over and Shauna looked How's like how did he get over? There. How did he get in there? This place is closed right now. He tapped me too, and I was like what you know.

Speaker 1: 7:52

you go into a place and the service isn't great, and you know, I know. He came out one time he said, yeah, he's like, the service there wasn't that great. And I just said, you know, always remember that's an employee probably first off and you probably first off, and you never know what their day's like right now, what they're going through. So give them some grace, don't just make a decision at one time. Go back and-.

Speaker 2: 8:10

Food especially, is really subjective. I always tell people give a place at least two times for food and it's okay for you to be like you know what. That place is not really for me. Whatever that business is, that's okay. It doesn't have to ruin your day. You don't have to like want to kill their family, like you can.

Speaker 3: 8:25

You can just say that's not my favorite burger place.

Speaker 2: 8:28

You know like you get to say that. Um, as long as you're not shredding people on the internet for no reason like you not liking it does not equal they're terrible people.

Speaker 1: 8:36

Yeah, it's wild, exactly. Yeah, as we get ready to wrap up, what kind of impact have you seen the group has had on local businesses or the neighbors in this area?

Speaker 2: 8:45

I I would say there's two things that come to mind immediately. One is community engagement, which is, I think, the fabric of the community. Vbn really has become part of the fabric of Vera Beach and I'm incredibly proud of that, and I love to see people jumping in on like we talked about previously the inside jokes or helping each other. That, I think, is not only good for the health of VBN, but it's paramount to the health of the community that you live in. So I love that. And the second thing is what a powerhouse VBN has been, and it's not only the water cooler, but people know when they're reading something on VBN especially if I post it or Mike posted that it is 100% the truth. That is what's happening. You don't have to like it, but they know that it's true, and so that, to me, has also been incredibly impactful. There's really nothing else like it, and I don't take that lightly and I feel like it's a very high level of responsibility that I've been given and I don't take it for granted.

Speaker 1: 9:36

So what's your hope for the future of the Vero Beach neighborhood? It's the last question I got for you, oh all right.

Speaker 2: 9:41

Well gosh, we're almost at 10 years. We're like eight, eight and a half years, which is insanity. So just that it keeps going. Some people ask how big do you want the page to get? Like, they focus on numbers and metrics. I absolutely keep track of numbers and metrics, but I don't hang my hat completely on that 74,000,. This is it. I'm happy with what he's blessed me with. If he's like, no, there's more impact to make and we're going to grow this bigger, then that's what we're going to do, and so it's whatever it is.

Speaker 2: 10:13

When I first started the page I sound crazy to some people, that's okay I absolutely dedicated the page to God. I was like you have got to, because as soon as I started seeing the pickup, I was like this is going to be something. Like I just kind of knew it was going to. I didn't know what it was, but it was going to be something. And so I just dedicated to him and I pray for wisdom all the time, Like please give me the wisdom I need to do what it is that you want me to do with this group, and so that's really, really important to me. So it's however he directs and whatever that kind of looks like, and so I am a human, I can be fall.

Speaker 2: 10:48

I think that God uses different people in different places, you know, in their life, and I just hope for VBN that it is the impact that I believe that it is, that it is, it continues to be, you know, the place that people go for information and that it really meets people where they're at, and that my most biggest prayer I guess you would call it is that people do see Jesus, Like they don't filter. You know, a lot of times people filter through what I call their hate lens, you know, and they're like, oh, but you're a Christian and you do that. I'm like, well, I didn't do that, but I guess I'm also a Christian, so I hate to see that. But at the end of the day I really hope that just they see Jesus, they meet him in a real way, and so that for any of my business models After that it's just a lot of work and connections but yeah, that's always my primary.

Speaker 1: 11:36

Well, Danielle, thank you so much for giving us some of your time to come and share your story and let us get to know you and the heart behind the Vero Beach neighborhood.

Speaker 2: 11:42

Absolutely. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 11:44

Yeah, yeah, We've loved having you Well with that anybody, well, not anybody, Everybody.

Speaker 2: 11:47

Everybody, yes, Everybody. Well, with that everybody.

Speaker 1: 11:50

if you've enjoyed the podcast which I'm sure you have, if you're still listening, make sure you click follow, leave us a review. That helps others find the podcast and if you have any questions, click that link in the show notes that say text us. You can text us any questions or any shout outs and you might hear us talk about it on the next episode.

Speaker 3: 12:07

Thanks for listening, neighbor.