Today we’re excited to introduce you to Kristi McDonald. Kristi is a serial entrepreneur, trailblazer, one of the hardest working and most innovative folks we know and is also a content partner. Content partners help Voyage in so many ways from spreading the word about the work that we do, sponsoring our mission and collaborating with us on content like this. Check out our conversation with Kristi below.
Kristi, thank you so much for joining us again. We’re so excited to share more of your story and experiences with our readers. For those who might have missed our earlier conversations, can you please briefly introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Kristi McDonald, serial entrepreneur. I own two amazing companies designed to help the communities they are built in. I own Sip and Shop Texas and E Teacher App. I’m a wine taster, travel junkie & an adventure guru. I’m also the Co-Director of the DFW Chapter of Boss Talks Networks – so I stay busy!
What is Sip & Shop Texas? What can you expect? What does it look like?
Did you know that East Texas produces EXCEPTIONAL award-winning wines and craft beers?
You don’t have to travel to Napa Valley or Italy to try the best! You can try award winning local Texas Wines & Brews during a fun afternoon with Sip & Shop Texas.
Typically, an afternoon would look like us picking you up at NOON from ETX Brewing Co, just off the square in Tyler. Get there early if you’d like to grab lunch or a snack! You do have to buy tickets in advance, because tours typically sell out pretty quickly. Our most popular wine tour, we’ll start with a visit to Green Goat Winery in Edom, Texas. Nestled among their vineyard, the tasting room at Green Goat is the perfect place to relax & taste a trio of their signature wines. Edom is also known for it’s hidden and charming Art District. Guests always love to browse around Edom for fun & unique finds. We also stop in Ben Wheeler, TX. The lovely ladies of Vintage Cork 917 will host an exclusive tasting of special Texas wines, right in their cute boutique shop! Ben Wheeler, Texas was proud to be named the best little hidden town in Texas. It is always a fun stop. It is such a small community filled with very unique people and places. Jonathan Sibly from Forged in Fire has a studio there, so the men on the tours always love to stop in and see him working on his custom knives. You’ll have time to grab lunch, visit the shops and sample some local wines, before we load up to head to White Fox Vineyards. White Fox Vineyards award winning blueberry wine is always a crowd favorite. Sometimes our tours visit other wineries and other shopping locations – it really just depends on which tour you sign up for.
Our goal at Sip & Shop Texas is to create a positive, fun & healthy community full of friends & neighbors who love to shop local, sip local, support small business and have a lot of fun! We are launching tours in Ft. Worth. I’m very excited to be working with Visit Ft. Worth to create some great weekend experiences there too. We are going to have a lot of fun in Ft. Worth! Of course, everything is paused right now, because of the pandemic – but stay tuned. The magic happens again soon.
Who is on the “Sip & Shop Trail” ?
When I refer to “The Sip & Shop Trail” or “The Sippin’ Scene” – I’m referring to all of the people involved in making this happen. I have connected with so many great people along this journey. Ellis Classic Coach in Tyler make it possible with their sprinter vans and limos. All of the vineyard owners, restaurant owners, boutiques, art galleries – all the people and places along the way is who makes up “The Sip & Shop Trail.” We’ve even hosted events in Waco, where we stayed in one of the homes featured on HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” and explored all that area had to offer. The Sip and Shop Trail is all the people, places and things that are as unique as Texas and make it such a great experience to be a part of.
How can businesses get involved and be showcased through Sip and Shop Texas?
In person, it’s easy! We have several festivals throughout the year. We’re always looking for new and interesting places to visit. If you’re a business owner and would like us to stop in on one of our tours – just reach out! You can connect with me through the website, or give me a call. I’m also in the development stages of a Sip and Shop Texas app, that is going to give businesses access to my community and audience – so they can post and promote themselves in the area. We have bi-monthly newsletters, instagram, and facebook. I love creating content for Voyage Dallas and I’ve also recently had a few articles published in Thrive Global and Elephant Journal. With the Sip and Shop app, the vendors, businesses, restaurants, musicians – everyone on the “Sip and Shop Trail” will be able to use the platform to promote themselves and their business.
What is planned for the future? Anything exciting on the horizon?
I am excited about the Sip and Shop App. I think it will be a great platform to put some of these smaller businesses in front of a large audience. We have bi-monthly newsletters, instagram, and facebook. I love creating content for Voyage Dallas and I’ve also recently had a few articles published in Thrive Global and Elephant Journal. With the Sip and Shop app, the vendors, businesses, restaurants, musicians – everyone on the “Sip and Shop Trail” will be able to use the platform to promote themselves and their business.
Finally, please let us know how our readers can connect with you and learn more.
SipandShopTexas.com is our website and it shows all the ways to connect with me. There are links to our facebook, instagram, youtube – and even a contact us form. I try to personally respond to each message. I love to collaborate and work with businesses and events in the area.
