Today, we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany DiPanni.
Hi Tiffany, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in the grande state of Rhode Island to two wonderful parents. My parents were a bit older when they had me, so when I was born, my grandparents were already well into their 60s and almost 80! I spent much time with my grandmothers growing up, and my parents worked full-time.
My maternal grandmother, “Granny,” introduced me to the game of golf when I was nine years old, and, to this day, I believe it was the one thing that has shaped most of my life. I went on to play well enough to earn a college scholarship and was the first female competitive golfer for Johnson and Wales University, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sport, Entertainment, and Event Management.
From there, I continued my education at Barry University, earning a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Sport Management. My goal was to work in the golf world, and so I did for many years. I worked at several local golf courses in South Florida and also for Perry Ellis International, where I managed the marketing of the Callaway Golf brand apparel.
I had always helped my friends with marketing their companies, so I ventured out and started my own marketing company – DiPanni Dynamix – in 2017 after leaving the corporate world and moving to Palm Beach County. I have worked and lived in South Florida since 2003. I have always been surrounded by the older generation in both areas of my life, and I have a strong love and affinity for them.
I attended a networking event in Palm Beach in mid-2017 and discovered an entire network of professionals dedicated to helping the senior population. So, I launched Social Savvy Seniors later in the year, which was geared to help our seasoned adults better adapt to the digital age we now live in.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The most consistent challenge throughout my life has been being a strong and educated woman with a passion for the game of golf – which has traditionally been a ‘man’s’ world. When I started playing golf in 1991 in Rhode Island, there were no junior golf programs for us – only the boys. Our grandmothers took us to a local field with a bag of 20 beat up balls, showed us some drills, we hit them and then went out and picked them up…. Repeat.
Most of the boys wanted to play with me (probably scared I’d beat them), and even the older women at our golf club were so threatened by a younger girl that they actually rigged the Club Championship against me at 14 years old (true story). It was like no one wanted to see you succeed as a female golfer…. Then, working in the golf industry, no one wanted to see you succeed as a female professional. Most women will tell you they have the pressure to ‘prove’ themselves in these industries. And they’re not wrong.
Now, as a business owner, the challenges are also consistent but different. You are 100% responsible for its success, and there are no days off – even if you’re traveling across the world, you need to know what’s going on in your business. When I look back, I’m grateful for where I’ve been, what I’ve done, and how I’ve handled each hurdle along the way. It has shaped me immensely – like grapes being pressed into a fine wine.
As you know, we’re big fans of Social Savvy Seniors. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
The mission of Social Savvy Seniors is to Empower, Educate, and Engage senior adults by teaching them useful skills for living in a digital world – in a personalized, stress-free, and relatable environment. We also strive to help businesses better understand the Boomer mindset to improve marketing, service, and retention strategies.
Social Savvy Seniors serves both older adults and businesses that cater to the older adult population. We provide personal one-on-one training for anyone who needs to hone in on their tech skills – whether it be a phone, tablet, or computer, we can help! We also do personalized assessments of your home, so we can come in and tell you what smart technology you may be able to incorporate to help make things efficient and easy. We also help install, set up, and train our clients on how to use it!
We provide group education programs to communities, clubs, and organizations on technology in several areas that are engaging and inspiring to our senior clients, from how to use Google to Learning The Lingo, Online Banking, Shopping, Transportation, and much more.
What sets my company apart? I was raised by older adults, I have spent years working with and for the Boomer population and am very familiar with their habits, likes, wants, and needs. I’m an old soul at heart and can relate to them in an extraordinary way despite the generational gap. I take that into heart with everything we do.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Passion. This is not the business I dreamed of as a child or even thought about in any of my graduate programs.
This is my passion – something that has been on my heart my entire life, a generation I have served for three decades but yet only revealed to me in an entrepreneurial way in the last eight years. It’s what I think about all day: I wake up thinking about it and go to bed thinking about it.
How can we use tech to make their lives better, and how can we teach them to do it? And how can I help business owners and other brands understand their mindset to better serve them as well? When you have that passion, you will find a way to fulfill it. And that is my intention.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SocialSavvySeniors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialsavvyseniors
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socialsavvyseniors
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanydipanni/
