4 minute read
Last Call
Sarah Connell Sanders
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Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
Allison Hale is the local marketer who took it upon herself to organize Ladies Night Out Worcester in order to promote women-owned businesses across the city. Her events have proved hugely popular, drawing hundreds of attendees to The Sprinkler Factory Gallery on Harlow Street.
How did you find your way to Worcester?
I’ve been living in Worcester for about 18 years. My husband, Bob, is from Rutland Massachusetts, and I’m originally from Medway, Massachusetts. When we were looking for a home, we decided Worcester was a great halfway point between where he was from and where I was from. We settled down and we’ve been raising our son here who’s 15.
What’s your day job?
I’m the Operations Manager of a medical spa in Worcester. I’d been running law firms for over 20 years. I used to run a law firm on Main Street. I worked in Boston before that and I kind of just got to a point in my mid-forties when I said, “I don’t think I want to do this for the rest of my life.” I started branching out into marketing. That’s how Ladies Night Out came about. I began working with women and small business owners. In the process, a woman I knew was looking for someone to do some marketing. She was like, “Do you know anyone interested?” And I said, “Yeah, me.” I started working for her two or three days a week. Very parttime. Now, I’m the full-time manager.
Can you tell us more about the origins of Ladies Night Out?
I started Ladies Night Out in 2018. I have a ton of friends who are women running small businesses and it’s very hard sometimes to put yourself out there. Getting attention through traditional marketing is extremely expensive. Darcy Schwartz from ArtsWorcester and I ran the PTO for Abby Kelley Foster Charter School for years. She introduced me to Luis Fraire who runs the Sprinkler Factory. When I saw his space, I was like, “Oh my God, this place is amazing. It’s huge. There’s tons of room. I could do so much here.” He was actually looking to get more people through the door who hadn’t heard of the Sprinkler Factory yet. I told him I wanted to organize a ladies night with entertainment so people would be able to see the artwork. He agreed. I honestly didn’t have huge expectations. The first event there sold out; we had over 400 people attend and I had over 60 women-owned businesses represented. That was in March of 2018. We did another one the same year, um, in the fall because people were asking for it to come back. We’ve done three events total and we did a women’s comedy night at the Sprinkler Factory as well.
Did I hear you also hosted an event for teen girls?
Yes, Darcy and I have done three events now called Teen Girls Night Out Worcester. We try to bring in local businesswomen who can act as mentors towards teen girls to show them what’s available in the city and expose them to career avenues that may not be traditional or something they would otherwise consider. You know, it gets them out of the house in a safe environment. It’s free; we don’t charge. Interestingly enough, we just received a grant to do another one in May.
How has the pandemic impacted Ladies Night Out?
In 2020, we weren’t able to hold an event. I’m watching gathering numbers closely to see if we can do something in an outdoor space if it’s safe. I’m thinking it will probably be late summer, early fall. If not, we will try to do something in the spring of 2022.
Where can people find you?
We operate completely through social media. We’re on Facebook and Instagram. People can reach out to us there. It’s so funny, we’ve kind of just grown because the women who have participated in the past send my personal information to people. I find it so interesting how many people have reached out to me. For the first event, I really went looking for participants and once it happened, I had a waiting list of people who wanted to participate, which was phenomenal. I would love to be able to accommodate everyone, but space is the biggest consideration right now, as well as COVID.
What’s your best marketing advice for a small business?
Believe in yourself. Believe in your product or service and don’t give up. I mean, it’s a lot of hard work, but you will get there if you believe in yourself. Many of the women I work with are pursuing a second career. Something was a hobby, but now it’s become a fullfledged business. Don’t be afraid to take the leap. If you believe in it and produce a good product, you shouldn’t let fear hold you back.
Allison Hale, is the founder of Ladies Night Out Worcester. DYLAN AZARI
