On the latest episode of The Local Marketing Podcast, Jason welcomes a very special—and local—guest, Karissa Winters. Karissa is part of Innovation Collective, where she works as the community lead for Victoria, Texas.

Karissa describes herself as being “born into a multigenerational family of entrepreneurs and creatives,” which she details at the beginning of the chat. Interestingly enough, her great grandparents owned a string of bars and restaurants, including the Reno Club, while other members of her family established cafes, daycare centers, hotels, and thrift stores. It is this background and collective familial mindset of wanting to help others for the greater good and give back to the community that helped guide Karissa to her position with Innovation Collective.

If you’re unfamiliar with Innovation Collective, you’re doing yourself a disservice. The IC system offers empowerment by providing the necessary tools to create value and beauty in the world, but more importantly, within your own community . . . right here in Victoria!

That’s perhaps the biggest and most important takeaway from the conversation: There are countless opportunities to connect with others, share ideas—no matter how big or small—and build something amazing. . . yes, again, right here in Victoria. The resources are all here, simply waiting to be accessed.

It can be argued that the foundation of Innovation Collective is connectivity. This organization not only works to bring people together and make ideas happen, but it also showcases what can be done within the community when the right people are given the time and space to connect.

That’s the ultimate goal of IC: getting people within the community to work together and make things happen. After all, anything is possible when you stop seeing competitors and start seeing connections.

Shannon and Adam later discuss Jason’s chat with Karissa, but they’re not alone this week. Joining the pair is podcast-newcomer, Blakley Young. Blakley is ThriveFuel’s Lead Account Manager for the southeastern region of the U.S. Welcome, Blakley!

If you thought cocktails ensued, you were right! Shannon refreshes with a Texas Liquor Barrel Pick, Condigo 1530 Resposado Tequila, while Blakley sips from a crisp glass of La Marca Rosé. Leave it to Adam to spice things up: He chooses coffee—yes, coffee!—and chocolate. He enjoys a cup of HEB Café Ole Mexican Altura Americano with a piece of Mayan Chocolate from Quintessential Chocolates out of Fredericksburg.

Interested in learning more about Karissa and Innovation Collective? Episode 08 of The Local Marketing Podcast is out now! Additionally, Karissa is an author. Discover her works by clicking here. Enjoy!