We recently connected with Marcie Trivette and have shared our conversation below.

Marcie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

When I founded Sweet T Picnics in October of 2021, I started out with support from a few family members and close friends. However, I didn’t have any employees or a solid “team” from the get-go. Over the first few months, I learned who my key vendor partnerships were, and who I could count on from that standpoint, but I still didn’t have any employees.

At the end of March 2022, I realized I needed to look for talented help to bring aboard and start forming an official team. I knew this would be a process and would take some dedicated time. Not quite needing full-time employees, I decided the best route for Sweet T Picnics, and myself, was to Program. This would not only help me with upcoming projects and luxury picnic reservations, but it would also give me the chance to mentor soon-to-be graduates. Also, this was my chance to test myself. I have always felt the need to be in full control of every aspect of my business, but I know if I want my company to grow, I need to trust others to take over in some departments.

I was very careful in my selection of the two interns who would be accepted into the Summer Internship Program. Not only did I post an ad on LinkedIn, but I also organized campaigns with several local universities to recruit applicants. After receiving approximately 100+ applications, I narrowed the interview process down to 12. During interviewing the potential interns, I kept in mind there are two things I cannot train them on:
1) Personality
2) Work Ethic
I can pretty much work around everything else.

After the interview process, I selected two amazing students into the internship program. These two individuals were creative and driven to succeed. From what they’ve shared, they learned a lot through their internship, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t learn a thing or two from them as well.

They did so amazingly well during their Summer Internship Program that now they have both been hired on as part-time employees!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

As an alumna of Appalachian State University, with a BS in Communication, I had the flexibility to use my degree in a multitude of ways. I dove headfirst into the corporate world of multifamily property management. However, like many, I started at the bottom of the totem pole working as a leasing agent in NC. After a few years, several company changes, and several moves between different states, I quickly climbed the ropes to Director of Learning & Development. Not to toot my own horn, but I was great at my job! I knew how to do my job well, and at the beginning I loved what I was doing.

Then, in 2020, when the world was struck by the global pandemic, my job morphed into something I didn’t love anymore. I lived behind a computer screen and was chained to my laptop day-in and day-out. I no longer was traveling like I was before, and many aspects of my job I once loved simply vanished.

In August of 2021, I packed up my apartment north of Chicago, IL, and headed back home to my roots in Raleigh, NC. Once back in the great state that made me who I am, I knew I had to make a change. I left my corporate career altogether, and embarked on what is now known as Sweet T Picnics, the leading luxury picnic company in the Carolinas.

My goal with my new luxury picnic business was to incorporate all the things that made me happy. I wanted joy back in my life, and I wanted to spread that joy with everyone else who experienced Sweet T Picnics. Anyone who knows me personally, knows I’m a true southerner through and through, and I needed that to shine through my new venture.

Sweet T Picnics is meant to be a one-stop-shop micro-event planning service. We handle everything from the planning, set-up, logistics, and clean-up of your luxury picnic experience. Clients have used Sweet T Picnics to celebrate some of life’s biggest moments: birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, gender reveals, bridal showers, and so much more!

Our mission is simple, to leave the world a little sweeter than the way we found it.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

With my team, I make sure to set aside time for us to just be with each other and build that bond which is so needed within any team. For example, this past summer, we took a day off from our regular scheduled picnics, rented a pontoon boat, and had the best time out on a local lake together.

Another key for me is being empathetic. Each member of our team has their own personal life aside from Sweet T Picnics. It’s important to remember that everyone has things going on. The lack of empathy is one main reason I left the corporate world, and I don’t ever want my team to feel as though I don’t understand them when life happens.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe being from North Carolina, and incorporating that southern charm really helped Sweet T Picnics reputation. Our entire team knows that we must be sweeter than the tea we drink when dealing with new guests, vendors, and everyone else in our community.

We’ve been able to form some incredible partnerships with local vendors, and our guests have noticed we keep things local and close to home. We believe in supporting other small businesses, and giving what we can each month to local non-profit organizations who are doing amazing acts of service in our community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sweetTpicnics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweettpicnics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetTpicnics
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweettpicnics/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sweettpicnics

Image Credits
Caitlin Register Photography & Stephanie Rose Photography