Liza Graves, along with her husband, Jay, own StyleBlueprint, one of the South’s best lifestyle websites. I’ve been a huge fan of the site for many years and appreciate how they feature Southern businesses fueled by the entrepreneurs and creatives throughout the region.
I’m constantly searching for interesting people throughout the South to interview. Although I had been aware of StyleBlueprint and Liza for several years, I was excited to receive an email from a publicist inquiring about recording a Southern Americana podcast episode. I quickly jumped at the opportunity.
Liza grew up in Virginia and moved to Nashville when she attended Vanderbilt University. One of her first jobs was working for former Tennessee Finance Commissioner, Bob Corker, in the mid-1990s. “What impressed me most was that every Wednesday he took time off to coach his daughter’s soccer team,” explained Liza. “That commitment made a significant impression on me.”
An entrepreneur at heart, Liza soon opened a small deli in The Arcade in downtown Nashville. It was there that she learned the intricacies and challenges of operating a small business. Several years later, in 2009, Liza and her former business partner started StyleBlueprint as a blog, writing and posting a few stories each week.
“We bought ‘Blogging for Dummies’ and hired a lady in Texas to set up our website,” Liza recalled. When we started, there wasn’t Facebook Business, Instagram, or several of the social media platforms available today so we focused on building our email list. We also wanted to focus on things that Southern women talk about every day, whether it’s great deals on clothes, accessories, events or fantastic places to visit, especially small towns.”
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Today, over 210,000 email subscribers receive a daily StyleBlueprint email, and the site reaches over 2.5 million readers annually. Interestingly, around 30 percent of StyleBlueprint readers are male, and the largest readership markets are Chicago, Nashville, and Atlanta. “Back when I attended cocktail parties regularly, men would approach me and quietly whisper that they enjoyed visiting our site. I always found that interesting.” That’s undoubtedly a fact I appreciate, given that I fall squarely into that category.
I often describe OneSouthernMan as “being the female version of StyleBlueprint.” However, I haven’t achieved anywhere near the size and success the Liza, Jay and her talented team have built in Nashville. What I admire about their work is the focus on small businesses, especially those in small Southern towns.
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“We wanted our own niche, not just another site that’s writing about Kim Kardashian,” Liza stated. “I want people to open our daily emails and feel better about themselves and their region.” StyleBlueprint’s focus on travel, events showcase the incredible events and people throughout the southeast. “We also focus on a slightly more affluent reader,” another interesting point Liza mentioned. “Sometimes there is pushback, yet in reality these are the readers supporting our small businesses, contributing to local charities and striving to improve their communities.”
Interviewing Liza was a privilege and the success of StyleBlueprint says much about why so many readers enjoy learning about the South’s incredible culture and people. I hope that you enjoy listening to this Southern Americana podcast episode as much as I enjoyed chatting with Liza.