Today we’d like to introduce you to Reina Kendall.
Reina, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started Reina’s Raves in the Summer of 2016 after returning from a trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I’ve always been quite the explorer because of my innate curiosity so naturally, I take tons of photos during my experiences. This time was a little different. Upon my return, I noticed that all of my photos were of places I visited, activities I took part in and what I ate – No people. I decided I wanted to do something to celebrate these images and not just save them on my computer. These were my experiences on film and I recognized that if I enjoyed it, someone else could too.
My journey. In my life, especially as a writer telling a story, I love to look at what makes an experience, a complete experience. For instance, I’ll always remember that early dinner in Ravello Italy and the amazing pizza with the live music in the square overlooking the countryside of the Amalfi Coast. Reina’s Raves has moved with me as I have grown and changed and today, it remains at a natural progression. I write about my Life. I write about the things I am blessed to do, what I took from them, why I did or did not like my experience, etc. As a Social Media Marketer, I find I always have an opportunity to learn more. An opportunity to meet more people, become inspired, show gratitude and really develop the things I enjoy in hopes that I can provide an education about those things to my readers and followers. You’ll often hear me talk about the value of saying Yes, and the importance of showing up. We may never want to attend everything we’re invited to but in my experience, when I’ve taken a chance, put myself out there, said Yes and showed up, I have always learned something valuable or met someone who I grow from. I’m always evolving, my curiosity is increasing and I think that’s what keeps my life interesting ~ Why not explore the unknown and in turn, avoid negativity, poor expectations and/or mundane repetition.
These days I continue to write about food and travel as I did in the beginning but my real focus is writing about my current lifestyle experiences. For instance, as an avid Formula 1 fan who has attended races in Monaco and Bahrain, I’ve recently been exploring my passion for exotic cars. Other examples are my admiration for Fashion and Style as well as, my love for yoga. I write about Yoga because it is my wellness practice that allows me to be healthy, have the energy I need to experience the things I do, explore life with an open mind and ground myself. I am a lifestyle writer. My lifestyle. I’m sharing my journey in hopes that others will take something from my experiences like I have and decide to create their own when perhaps before reading my work, they never would have given the opportunity a second glance.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Reina’s Raves, in many ways has always been my favorite hobby but overtime, I began to really embrace it on a larger level by seeking out more experiences. I traveled more and more going to Dubai, Italy, Antigua, the Maldives, sailed around Thailand and visited all sorts of other interesting places. Next, I started checking out new restaurant and hotel openings. The Style and Car piece really came into focus when I moved to Florida from Greenwich, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it was this residential transition, the move that posed a challenge because it was a big adjustment and all the while, I ended up suffering from some critical health issues. It all kind of happened at the same time and it was a total mess. It took months for me to return to Reina’s Raves in the capacity I wanted to mainly because I had been sick for so long. Eventually, in time I did heal and came out of this challenging chapter, stronger and more motivated than ever thus, bringing me to where I am Today.
Reina’s Raves – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
It’s a tough time with the Coronavirus so right now, I have been doing a lot more virtual events and fashion photo shoots with local designers. Communication is my strongest skill and as a media marketing contractor, I work with a lot of different Companies helping host and coordinate events related to topics that match my brand. For instance, i recently had the opportunity to do the photography for ICTV1 Media and Entertainment of the Washington Nationals Parade on Clematis Street in Downtown West Palm Beach, Florida. I also have been a hostess for many events for Chart Palm Beach Magazine focusing on local art and charity. I promote lots of events including the Taste of the NFL during Super Bowl week and the Four Seasons South Beach reopening, ribbon-cutting and the another grand opening held for the new waterfront hotel, The Ben in West Palm Beach. Wherever I go, I take in the entire experience and reflect on it through my writing social media pages. My focus is on writing from the mindset of “why do I find this valuable? What attracts me to this and why.”
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The biggest moments were when I found I was getting recognized in my Palm Beach County community and receiving from my peers. For example, I became an active member of the Let’s Get Social Palm Beach Networking Society. I developed a very close relationship with the Supercar Week Team and started working on many of their events from promotions to photography to modeling. The Big one was when I was featured in Palm Beach Illustrated for the first time after attending the Beach Bash for Loggerhead Marina Center. Fun Fact: I actually won my ticket to this event in a writing contest!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reinasraves.com
- Instagram: @reinasraves
- Facebook: @reinasraves
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