Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Marcheschi.
Krista, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Sonoma County in Northern California and from a very early age knew that if something was “larger than life” I wanted to be apart of it – I have always been drawn to the “WOW” Factor of things.
I grew up dancing competitively for almost 20 years and played sports which helped me gain confidence in who I was and helped me grow into the person I am today. I believe in the power of Human connectivity and love making new friends, being apart of something, and chatting people’s ears off. The moment I was old enough to get a real job I ran out and applied every place I could.
I got my first Job at 14 working retail, and from that day on I have had a laundry list of jobs that have become stepping stones in helping me to where I am now in my career. I am a very high-energy person so every job I’ve ever had I’ve immersed myself. I like to know the complete ins and outs of something, even if it is only somewhat related to my particular position, then I use that knowledge to grow into whats next.
After High School, I realized that the way I excel best is through DOING, so I decided to skip college and get to where I wanted to be through work experience and motivation. Now that was my journey, in no way am I saying that college is unnecessary, it just wasn’t for me!
I’ve worked and managed multiple retail stores, worked in Hospitality and events for a Michelin Rated Bed and Breakfast, worked for CPA’s and CFP’s, was the Technical Assistant for an architecture firm, heckled passerby’s at malls to sign up for Modeling Agencies and sold luxury cars (where I was only female sales associate). About 16 years ago, my duties evolved and became more focused on the Marketing and Events side of the business. I was immediately hooked and realized that I’d found my calling and passion!
In 2012, I was hired to be the Events Coordinator for a heating and air company in Santa Rosa. That position quickly grew to include all trade shows, Marketing, PR, Social Media. In 2015, I feel like I caught a lucky break when I received a phone call from a startup Finance company in San Diego. Renovate America was searching for someone to head up all of the events for the Contractor/Manufacturer channel. Since I was so immersed in the Contractor/Construction world with my previous company and was very familiar with Renovate America and it’s products it seemed like a perfect fit! I had never lived outside of Sonoma County before but within one month of my interview, I sold my house in Santa Rosa as well as most of my belongings, packed up a Uhaul, and moved to San Diego to start my next chapter! Scary!
My time at Renovate America is what really launched my career and knowledge in the Events industry. During my time at RA, I provided planning, coordination and execution for over 150 events nationwide, coordinated large scale, multi-faceted retreats, conferences, and created booth experiences for expos ranging from 30,000-70,000 attendees. I built relationships with people all over the World, and learned how to always be ahead of the trends, take criticism constructively, and think outside of the box!
In 2017, I was contacted by the Verant Group to interview for a possible position as the Event Manager for a new and exciting Bar/Restaurant/Event space they were building calling Mavericks Beach Club. I had never worked in the bar industry before but was excited for the opportunity to help build something GIGANTIC!
Mavericks turns two at the end of this month. In this two years time frame I’ve now planned & executed hundreds of events helped raise over $40k in charitable donations, built a social media following of over 10,000 (and still growing!), served as VP of Communications on the board for International Live Events Association, and have made friends that will last a lifetime!
Every job mentioned above, every late night, every life experience and the support of my family and friends has gotten me to this point.
As for Mavericks…. I would not be where I am today without the guidance, trust, friendship and support of Eric Lingenfelder, David Cohen, and Mark Cirilo, John Anderson as well as my awesome team of Managers and staff. Everyone has played a huge role in what Mavericks Beach Club is today – the spot in San Diego to go to for “Larger Than Life” fun and events!
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve always been an eccentric person so unfortunately bullying did take a toll in my younger years (people don’t like what they don’t understand…) But once I gained my confidence and realized that if everyone was the exact same this world would be so boring, I was able to drown out any criticism and dance to my own tune. Being a girl in this world is hard enough, let alone a strong headed, loud, outspoken, crazy haired one! I stopped asking for permission. I’ve been married, uprooted, divorced… there’s been births that I’ve missed, deaths that have taken pieces of me, and hometown tragedies that have left me feeling helpless because of the distance between. With that being said, life is never a smooth road. It’s the bumps that build character and teach us truly what the meaning of life is. But every challenge in my life has made me the person who I am today and has helped guide me to the life I want to lead so I wouldn’t take a single moment of that back!
My advice to other Women would be this: “No” is a word… not a stop sign. There is no such thing as “That will never work….” There is no such thing as “..but you’re a girl, so..” If you want something in this life, there is always a way to get it – yes, it may be hard work, yes, it may take a long time and things may not always go as planned along the way but it’s how you get there that defines your character!
Find people who support and inspire you everyday and the rest will follow.
We’d love to hear more about Mavericks Beach Club.
I am the Events and Marketing Manager for Mavericks! In addition to formulating, planning and managing all events here at Mavericks, I also work closely to coordinate all of the print/marketing material and run all of the Social Media and Reputation Management (Yelps, Google reviews, whatnot) as well. If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram you will probably see my face or hear my voice regularly!
Mavericks is a 15,000 sqft indoor/outdoor multi-level dog-friendly Bar/Restaurant/Event Space in Pacific Beach. We can hold close to 1,000 guests normally and almost 2,000 guests when we permit out our attached parking lot for large events…needless to say, nothing we do is small! We host a wide variety of events throughout the year (both Public and Private), but what’s consistent is the over-the-top events we’re known for. We’re always looking for ways to help improve the community and support local charities through fun!
Since opening almost two years ago, I’ve been fortunate enough to plan and host hundreds of events at Mavericks. These events range from monthly reoccurring events such as our very popular Wag Wednesdays (where we turn our lot into a full off-leash dog park for the community) to private buy-outs for corporate events, launch parties for brands and yearly blowouts for big holidays! Charity and volunteering has always played a huge part in who I am, so I feel so lucky that I am able to tie in charitable causes to so many of our events at Mavericks!
Here are some noteworthy events we’ve been lucky enough to host:
Puppies and Golf, Supporting K9’s For Warriors: We partnered with Amanda Balionis of CBS Sports, Callaway, Farmers Insurance, Supreme Golf, Heritage Links and a long list of others to create a REAL putting golf course for charity in our parking lot. It was an awesome day filled with families, golf, and of course puppies and in just 6 hours, we were able to raise over $22,000 for K9’s for Warriors! Our most successful charity-driven event to date, and hopefully the foundation of a wonderful annual tradition in years to come.
Industry Beach Volleyball Tournament supporting Big Josh Foundation: We brought in over 25 tons of sand and built two regulation Beach Volleyball Courts in our lot. 15 teams representing bars all over SD competed in the tournament. Team buy-ins all went to benefit Big Josh Foundation and we are currently in the final stages of planning round 2 of this awesome event.
Jameson “Love Thy Neighborhood” Block Party in support of I Love A Clean San Diego Foundation: We turned each one of our 5 bars into a different neighborhood in San Diego, complete with the iconic signage and landmarks. We had live music all day, and each “neighborhood” bar highlighted various local small businesses.
Cinco De Mayhem Lucha Mania: We transformed Mavericks into a full Luchador Wrestle Mania complete with am actual wrestling ring, professional Luchadors, Mariachi performers and a Battle Royale. One of my favorite moments of this event was looking around and seeing all of our residential neighbors on their roofs with lawn chairs watching all of the action! Ringside seats, if you will!
Mavericks Winter Wonderland: Every year in conjunction with the Santa Run and the PB Holiday Parade we bring in over 20 tons of real snow to create a winter wonderland for all ages!
Mavericks Halloween “Nightmare On Garnet” Party: Biggest Halloween party by the beach! We transform every corner of Mavericks into a Halloween extravaganza complete with a full haunted house, contortionists, creepy performers, and much more!
Mavericks PAWloween: Halloween Party for all of our furry friends. Complete with a Doggy Costume Contest and full off-leash dog park. This event is definitely a fan favorite!
Mavericks Anniversary Party: Complete with real fireworks!
What am I most proud of as a brand:
With the Verant Group, all of our establishments have always had one main thing in common – we’re a family. Every employee, manager, owner, regular, or someone who’s just visiting for the first time… everyone is a part of the family. Mavericks started as an idea and through the hard work and dedication from our staff and ownership team we have morphed into a staple of the community. All while maintaining our core values. We knew we had the opportunity to create something special, something more than just a Bar, but had no idea that we would be able to positively impact as many people and families as we have in the short time we’ve been open.
We want everyone who walks through our doors to feel like we do every day; like they’re walking into their best friend’s house. Comfortable, familiar, fun.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Discover your passion. Follow your heart. Create peace. Fall in love. Dream big. Enjoy the little things. Show gratitude. Be spontaneous. Take risks. Believe in yourself. Trust in others. And most importantly, don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough. Not strong enough. Not smart enough. Not pretty enough. Not cool enough. Not enough… You and you alone are in charge of writing your own story, and what a beautiful story it will be. You are always enough.
Trust the process!
Contact Info:
- Address: Mavericks Beach Club
860 Garnet Ave, San Diego CA 92109 - Website: www.maverickssd.com
- Phone: 707-508-6669 to book an event
- Email: krista@maverickssd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mavericksbeachclub/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maverickssd/
Image Credit:
Kevin Daniels & Larry Darwent
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