On this episode of Destination on the Left, Liza Graves shares her journey growing a 100% digital lifestyle publication that she started as a way to help small businesses through the recession. She talks about why it is important to find your North Star and how that can guide you through the ups and downs. We talk through some of the unique ways that StyleBlueprint helps DMOs and tourism businesses reach a traveling audience.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• How Liza launched StyleBlueprint during the Great Recession to help support local businesses and why that mission has been the cornerstone of her company’s growth
• Why it’s essential to know your North Star as a business or destination, and how that core purpose can help you navigate challenges like economic downturns and the pandemic
• What it means to tell authentic, experience-driven stories about destinations and small businesses, and why origin stories resonate so powerfully with target audiences
• How StyleBlueprint partners with destinations and DMOs, and what makes a successful collaboration, including the role of co-ops and customized storytelling
• Why identifying your brand or destination’s true story matters more than following trends, and Liza’s tips for discovering and communicating those stories effectively
• How to break through the clutter when pitching stories to media outlets or digital publications, based on Liza’s frontline advice for PR professionals and marketers
• What collaboration and community-building look like in practice, and why Liza believes working together leads to more sustainable, meaningful growth for destinations and businesses

Finding Your North Star

From the Great Recession to catastrophic floods and the uncertainty of the pandemic, Liza knows a thing or two about leading through adversity. Her advice is to have a clear North Star, your guiding purpose and values that keep you focused through turbulent times.

During the pandemic, StyleBlueprint leaned deeply into its core mission: supporting local. Liza reached out personally to partners, offered flexible arrangements, and championed resources like PPP guidance. Because these actions were rooted in authentic care and community, her business not only weathered the storm but emerged stronger and with deeper trust.

Her experience is a master class for tourism professionals: know your core, communicate gratitude, and adapt your offerings while never losing sight of the people and partners who make your destination or business possible.

Finding and Telling Destination Stories That Resonate

One of the signature advantages of StyleBlueprint is the way it dives deep, trading five-point “Top Things to Do” lists for rich, immersive lifestyle features. Liza advocates for destinations and businesses to invest time in uncovering their true stories, often starting with their own origin. Why did you open your restaurant, shop, or B&B? What local traditions or quirks define your town?

It’s not always easy to surface the stories closest to us—we’re often “too close” to see what’s special. Liza encourages hiring a professional storyteller if needed, or leveraging AI tools as a prompt to reflect on why your place or business exists and what personally resonates about its history or community role. These stories aren’t just interesting, they magnetize your ideal visitor and forge lasting emotional connections.

Strength in Partnerships

A standout takeaway from the episode is Liza’s embrace of “coopetition”—forming strategic, collaborative storytelling and marketing partnerships even among traditional competitors. StyleBlueprint’s co-op articles group similar destinations, such as “guys’ weekend getaways” or “mother-daughter retreats,” giving readers variety and context while offering participating locales a cost-effective, high-impact platform.

These efforts enhance authenticity and make it easier for destinations to identify and communicate the unique experiences they offer. The key, as Liza notes, is partnering with platforms that “overdeliver,” know their audiences, and, most importantly, care.

Resources:

• Website: https://styleblueprint.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizagraves/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueprint-inc-local/
• Subscribe to StyleBlueprint’s daily emails: https://styleblueprint.com/ac-subscribe/

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