Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rusty Sutton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rusty, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The Green Monkey was born from the mind of Rusty Sutton. He envisioned a community space that welcomed everyone! A space where you can be you. Yes, we know we are just a gift shop and bar, but it goes beyond that. It’s a community. Many of our MonkeyFans (customers) become friends and significant others, and a few become engaged and married. Our gift shop is filled with small makers, and our bar offers local NC breweries. The Green Monkey is all about community.

Rusty, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always worked in sales. In sales, I took the position of helping and serving customers, and it was never “sell it” mode. Small and large retail shops seem to have forgotten how to engage and service customers. At The Green Monkey, each customer is greeted and engaged. New MonkeyFans receive a small free gift on their first visit. It makes people smile and relax.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I handled our social media, which helped us grow the business. One of the best social media strategies I implemented was Our Most Recent Post Ad, and I set the ad up using Meta’s Ad Manager on my desktop. The ad audience is people who follow or like our business page, and this simple strategy increased our repeat traffic by 38%. I hired a social media coach. I highly recommend getting help if you don’t know social media for business. Just because your high school kid knows Tik Tok, IG, or FB doesn’t mean they understand who your audience is, how to reach that audience or marketing! Be careful. Your social media is your brand.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Ten years ago, we started this business. We were undercapitalized. I woke up every morning telling myself, “failure is not an option,” and that I can only control the present moment. And I was grateful for every customer who walked through our door. And during the pandemic, I did everything in my power to still engage with our customers, so we had to meet where they were. At home. On Zoom. We turned every event we could into a zoom event. We had little backlash when the mask mandate was enforced. We stuck to our vision: a safe place to be you, and we required a mask and a show of vaccination. (We had an option of outdoor seating if they chose no cover or kept their vaccination private.) Happily, we had more support than the minor backlash. Stay true to yourself!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.greenmonkeyraleigh.com
• Instagram: @greenmonkeyraleigh
• Facebook: greenmonkeyraleigh
• Twitter: @greenmonkeyshop
• Youtube: the Green Monkey TV
• Yelp: The Green Monkey
• Other: Tik Tok: greenmonkeyraleigh