Your podcast, Off The Vine, has made waves! What inspired you to create a podcast and in what ways has it changed your life?
When I was younger, I wanted my own radio show, so I started in the podcast industry eight years ago and never looked back! I love candid conversations - especially these days, when we can put down our phones and have a genuine connection for forty-five minutes. I think it makes listeners feel like they are hanging out with their best friends. My Off The Vine community is everything to me.
Tell us more about your rebrand plans for the podcast! What is your vision for the new set-up?
I feel like my listeners have grown with me in every way - spiritually, personally, and professionally. Who I am as a person, my conversations, and my guests have evolved, and I felt the space needed to level up, too! I want people to walk into the space and feel invited, relaxed, and comfortable.
A special thanks to Leigh Taylor Public Relations who facilitated this project for my new, elevated Off the Vine studio space!
If you could describe the new Off The Vine in three words, which would you choose and why?
Elevated, authentic, and safe. In any chapter of my life, I hope to continue to grow, evolve, and elevate. Authenticity is all I crave in this world. I want to inspire listeners to always feel empowered and live authentically. Safety is an important one for me; I want my community to feel like they are family, and I love for my conversations with guests to feel safe. In a world full of clickbait - and I understand that’s part of the job - I want them to leave feeling like our conversation filled their cup. If it has, then I've done my job.
What is it like building a successful career in social media?
It’s been a JOURNEY. I will never forget coming off of The Bachelor in 2015 and getting offered money to post on Instagram. I went from living paycheck to paycheck to getting asked to promote a waistband trainer for a lot of money - I think I screamed when I saw the dollar amount. I immediately agreed, even though I was lying to my audience about how I used it every day. My friend called me immediately and said, ‘I don’t care how much they paid you… delete that post.’ She talked me through building the longevity of a brand and how saying no to one-off things that didn’t align with me would bring on bigger, better opportunities. It was hard to say no to the money, but she was right - I wanted my audience to trust me. I worked really hard to form meaningful partnerships, and I have now worked with some of my favorite brands. I think it’s the best business advice I could give to someone: align yourself with your purpose, develop a mission statement, and three pillars you want to be known for.
Your wine, Spade and Sparrows, continues to make a name for itself nationwide - congratulations! What does it mean to you to watch it continue to grow and thrive?
I am SO proud of that wine label. I worked in the restaurant industry for ten years; I learned so much about wine, wine pairing, grapes, and regions. After coming off the show and building a wine-centric podcast, having my own label felt like a natural progression. It means everything to have my wine and wine club members. We have wine Zooms every three months where I will have celebrity guests come on to answer questions, play games, and just HANG. I know I'm biased, but it really is the BEST wine! Whether you’re a sommelier or a first-timer, it’s all low sugar, perfectly balanced, and pairs well with anything you want to pair it with.
Detail your up-and-coming collaboration with LTPR.
Well, Leigh Taylor Richardson and LTPR have brilliant marketing ideas. It started with, ‘let’s partner with Get Into the Limelight self tanner’ then switched to ‘let's ride around to local influencers houses in a pink limo, with guys from Thunder From Down Under, carrying big pink fridges, stocked with wine and self tanner.’ It is such a fun way to meet up with people face to face with a fun package for them. When you make it fun, people are more inclined to share… and I'm always seeking ways to get the word on my wine!
Tell us all about your journey to Music City. What led you to Nashville?
Well, I want to tell you it was my love for music, which was part of it, but really it was because I got engaged to a guy on my season of The Bachelorette, and he lived here. I had never been and I moved here without looking back. Now, I find myself in writing sessions, taking voice lessons, and releasing music VERY seldomly. But I do love it; it’s such a great city full of wonderful people. It really does feel like home.
Congratulations on your beautiful new home! How does it feel to continue to be building roots in Nashville?
I could not be happier about this new home. I had lived a lot of life in my last house, and this change came at the perfect time. Two public breakups in one house is a lot. Ha! So, it was a new chapter in my life with my two dogs and felt like the reset I needed - a new chapter, new energy. I love it so much. Hosting is my favorite thing; hosting my podcast, hosting dinner parties, backyard happy hours… my doors are always open to friends and family when they visit. It’s my sanctuary.
Listen to Kaitlyn’s chart-topping podcast, Off The Vine, on all streaming platforms and follow along @kaitlynbristowe and @offthevinepodcast.
Authenticity is all I crave in this world. I want to inspire listeners to always feel empowered and live authentically. I want my community to feel like they are family.
[I've learned about] building the longevity of a brand and how saying no to one-off things that didn’t align with me. The best business advice I could give to someone is to align yourself with your purpose, develop a mission statement, and three pillars you want to be known for.