Rachael Green on Scaling Experiences, Hospitality & Productized IP

Key Takeaways

• Start with what you love: Rachael’s passion for hospitality and creating experiences became the foundation for Swizzle.co.
• Adapt without abandoning your vision: Her transition from cocktail classes to virtual corporate experiences shows the value of testing and refining an idea.
• Know who can afford your services: Understanding your market and pricing sustainably is essential for long-term business growth.
• Balance profit with community value: A profitable business can create the resources needed to support others.
• Focus on the experience: People remember how you make them feel, not just the technical details of what you deliver.
• Build belonging: Strong communities grow through genuine connection, consistency, and showing up.
• Practice public speaking: Confidence develops through repetition, not by waiting until everything is perfect.
• Do not compare your journey to everyone else’s: Focus on your next step and your own vision.
• Recognize self-sabotage: Pay attention to the moments when fear or distraction pulls you away from meaningful progress.
• Share the ideas that keep returning: An idea does not have to be finished to be worth exploring.
• Embrace your personality: You do not have to imitate someone else’s style to build a successful brand.
• Understand different kinds of growth: Personal, professional, visibility, and financial growth can all be part of an entrepreneur’s journey.

Rachael Green on Entrepreneurship, Creative Strategy, and Building Community Through Experiences

Entrepreneurship, creativity, and community come together in this lively episode of Oui Talk Raw, as Terry Hudson welcomes Rachael Green, founder of Swizzle.co. With her energetic personality, candid insights, and passion for creating memorable experiences, Rachael brings a fresh perspective on what it takes to build a business that connects with people.

From launching virtual cocktail classes during the pandemic to developing corporate team-building experiences, Rachael shares the lessons behind her entrepreneurial journey. Terry keeps the conversation moving with his trademark curiosity, humor, and genuine interest in the people and ideas shaping the creative community.

Rachael Green’s Entrepreneurial Journey: From Hospitality to Swizzle.co

Rachael’s path to entrepreneurship began with a strong foundation in hospitality. After studying at Florida State University, she moved into the world of spirits, mixology, and liquor brand management. Her experience leading cocktail classes revealed something bigger than teaching people how to make drinks: she loved creating an environment where people could relax, learn, and enjoy themselves.

That realization became the foundation for Swizzle.co, a company focused on virtual experiences that bring people together through creativity, play, and connection.

Turning a Pandemic Challenge Into a Business Opportunity

When the world shut down in 2020, Rachael quickly adapted her cocktail classes into Facebook Live sessions. What started with online classes for a growing audience expanded into virtual parties, including a virtual wedding. She recognized that people were experiencing disconnection and fatigue from online life, but still needed meaningful ways to engage with others.

Rather than abandoning her idea when she received advice to pivot, Rachael continued testing, researching, and refining her approach. A major turning point came when she began targeting corporate clients. From there, Swizzle grew into a business serving organizations with engaging virtual events and experiences.

Her story is a reminder that a business idea may need time, refinement, and the right audience before its potential becomes clear.

Building a Business Around Value, Profitability, and Community

One of the most practical parts of the conversation centers on understanding who can afford your services and how your business sustains itself. Terry and Rachael explore the importance of recognizing the difference between providing accessible community support and operating a profitable business.

Rachael explains how much of her focus goes toward corporate work, which provides the revenue and resources that allow her to support people in her local community in other ways. For her, this is not about abandoning accessibility. It is about building the financial capacity to continue offering value.

Knowing Your Audience and Understanding Your Value

Rachael encourages entrepreneurs to consider whether their ideal clients have the budget and infrastructure to benefit from their services. A creative business can have a meaningful mission, but it also needs a sustainable model.

She also discusses the importance of aligning expectations and values with clients early in the relationship. Understanding how both sides work, what they expect, and what they can realistically contribute helps prevent misunderstandings and wasted time.

Terry connects this idea to the broader creative world, where artists, speakers, and entrepreneurs must balance their passion with the practical realities of delivering value.

Why Swizzle.co Focuses on Experiences, Not Just Drinks

Swizzle.co offers virtual team-bonding and client-engagement experiences, with formats designed to fit different corporate events. Rachael describes two primary approaches: a full segment, where her team leads an entire experience, and split content, where shorter drink demonstrations and activities are integrated into a larger event.

The goal is to make participation enjoyable, approachable, and memorable. Whether the experience includes trivia, drink-making, an icebreaker, or closing remarks, the emphasis is on helping people feel engaged.

The Balance Between Education and Play

Rachael describes her approach as a balance between information and fun. While technical knowledge matters in the mixology industry, she believes the audience ultimately wants to have a good time and feel comfortable participating.

That philosophy extends beyond cocktail experiences. Terry highlights how the same principle applies to music, public speaking, and other creative industries: audiences may appreciate expertise, but they connect most strongly when they feel welcomed and cared for.

Rachael also emphasizes that the presence of the host matters. Her virtual event team needs people who can make participants feel safe, seen, and comfortable making mistakes. Humor, humility, and the ability to create connection are essential parts of the experience.

The Real Reason People Crave Experiences

A central theme of the conversation is the human desire for belonging. Rachael believes people are looking for more than polished aesthetics or impressive details. They want to feel connected, included, and recognized.

She reflects on the role of novelty and play in her own life, explaining how she intentionally incorporates fun into her routines. For her, experiences are a way to bring energy and engagement into everyday life.

Creating Belonging Through Community

Rachael describes belonging as the feeling of being welcomed and knowing that you will be received when you arrive. Terry relates this to the connections they share through Charlotte’s creative community, where familiar faces, hugs, and genuine relationships make events feel meaningful.

The discussion reinforces an important lesson for entrepreneurs and creatives: the experience people have with you can matter just as much as the product or service you provide.

Charlotte’s Creative Community and the Importance of Showing Up

Rachael shares how Charlotte’s Creative and Creative Mornings became important parts of her journey after moving from California to Charlotte. An early collaboration involving a National Tequila Day video helped her feel welcomed into the city’s creative community.

Later, she began serving mocktails at Creative Mornings, eventually becoming a consistent presence at the events. What began with an elaborate setup evolved into a more streamlined experience as she learned what was truly necessary to serve the community well.

Relationships, Visibility, and Genuine Support

Terry and Rachael discuss how Charlotte’s Creative supports its sponsors, performers, and attendees through visibility, collaboration, and personal relationships. Rachael describes the organization as a place where she feels a genuine sense of belonging.

She also reflects on how community involvement does not always need to produce immediate financial returns. Sometimes the value lies in showing up, contributing something meaningful, and building relationships that grow over time.

For entrepreneurs, this is a valuable reminder that networking is not simply about collecting contacts. It is about being present, contributing, and following through.

Public Speaking, Confidence, and Sharing Your Ideas

Terry emphasizes that public speaking is an essential skill for entrepreneurs, artists, and anyone who needs to communicate an idea. A great product or creative vision can go unnoticed if the person behind it cannot effectively explain its value.

Rachael shares her own experience as a performer, including singing with a 20-piece jazz band in Tallahassee. She explains that public speaking is not only about having a performance background; it also requires practice and the ability to separate your personal identity from the business or vision you represent.

How to Practice Public Speaking Without Waiting to Be Perfect

Rachael recommends practicing live video in a private, undiscoverable Facebook group. This allowed her to become comfortable delivering her message in a setting that still felt permanent and real.

Terry adds that entrepreneurs do not need to wait for perfect lighting, perfect hair, or a polished studio to begin creating content. Repeated practice helps people become more comfortable, communicate more naturally, and build familiarity with their audience.

The message is simple: start where you are, practice consistently, and let confidence develop through experience.

TEDx Mallard Creek: Branding, Strategy, and the Dream of Speaking

Rachael discusses her involvement with TEDx Mallard Creek, where she contributes to branding, strategy, social media, stakeholder alignment, and sponsorship value. After years of operating as a solopreneur and working with contractors, she is excited to be part of a larger team.

The conversation also explores the theme of dreaming and the importance of authentic ideas. Rachael encourages people to think beyond what they believe others want to hear and instead consider what they genuinely feel needs to be shared.

What Makes an Idea Worth Spreading?

For Rachael, an idea worth developing is often the one that keeps returning to your mind. She encourages people to recognize when self-doubt and conditioning are holding them back from exploring something meaningful.

She also reminds listeners that ideas do not have to be perfect before they are shared. Creativity is a process, and unfinished work can still inspire people. Terry connects this to the broader creative journey, where the story behind a creation can be just as meaningful as the finished product.

Stay Curious With Rach: Authenticity and Entrepreneurial Growth

Beyond Swizzle.co, Rachael is developing her thought leadership through Stay Curious with Rach. Her approach is candid, humorous, and intentionally authentic. She talks about experimenting with content that feels slightly uncomfortable or “cringe” to her, recognizing that authenticity can help people connect with her in unexpected ways.

She also discusses her interest in consulting and growth strategy. Rather than taking on every potential client, she wants to work with entrepreneurs who have the budget, infrastructure, and readiness to benefit from her expertise.

Growth Can Mean More Than Making Money

Rachael explains that growth can take many forms, including personal development, professional progress, increased visibility, or financial improvement. Her role as a consultant is to help people identify where they want to go and develop a strategy to move from one stage to the next.

Her perspective reflects a broader theme of the episode: entrepreneurship is not just about building a company. It is also about developing the person behind the vision.

Final Thoughts: A Conversation About Creativity, Courage, and Connection

Terry Hudson and Rachael Green bring warmth, humor, and real entrepreneurial insight to this episode of Oui Talk Raw. Their conversation moves naturally from virtual cocktails and business strategy to public speaking, community, authenticity, and the courage to keep developing an idea.

Rachael’s journey with Swizzle.co demonstrates how a creative concept can evolve into a sustainable business through persistence, experimentation, and a deep understanding of what people need. Terry’s thoughtful questions and energetic observations help connect her story to the wider world of artists, entrepreneurs, and community builders.

At its heart, this episode is about showing up, trusting your vision, and creating something that gives people a reason to connect.

Listen to the full episode of Oui Talk Raw on rBeatz.com and discover more conversations celebrating creativity, entrepreneurship, and the people shaping their communities.