We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Samantha Murphy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Samantha below.

Samantha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

Many of our clients at 305 Hive are non-profits, and they use the reach of our Newsletter to promote their events. Beyond that, we also offer many options at no charge, as serving the underserved is one of our biggest passions. We have published personal stories by locals from many different organizations highlighting issues including homelessness, autism, retinitis pigmentosa, and more.

We also have many other pro bono ways that we help the community and the underserved such as our 305 Cares Campaign, where organizations can post ways for our readers to donate items and their time. We have also been sponsors for organizations such as Kristi House and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. In our weekly Newsletter, we post item donation requests for specific needs such as items for homeless teens, help for families in need, and other community support. Beyond the publication, we have volunteered our time at local organizations.

Samantha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

305 Hive is a local Newsletter, and we aim to bring the community together. Our slogan is The Local Buzz in Miami, as everything we do is in support of Greater Miami and the community. We also help local businesses connect with their ideal clients using our Newsletter’s reach. Our digital Newsletter is free for anyone that would like to sign-up, and it goes out weekly. We also have several Special Editions throughout the year, such as Health & Wellness, Holiday Happenings, etc. We are especially known in the community for our Private School and Summer Camp Special Editions. Locals can also use our Newsletter for support from our readers by posting classified ads for advice, referrals, and the like. We also post Help Wanted ads and item donation requests from organizations. We have a weekly feature called The Weekly Buzz, where we let our readers know what we are buzzing about each week. Additionally, we are proud of our monthly features such as Keep the 305 Clean and Green, History with the Hive, and our new monthly Book Club. One of our favorite monthly features is The Local Business Buzz, where we support a local business by running a pro bono feature on them.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My grandfather Hugh was the consummate entrepreneur, and he has always supported me, as well as my cousins, aunts, and uncle, in all of our endeavors. Anyone needing help, whether a family member, friend, or even a stranger, could come to him for business advice. Hugh was a great out-of-the-box thinker, and you would always come away from the conversation with good ideas and a new direction. My grandfather was instrumental in my Samantha’s Gourmet Pepper Jelly business when I was in my early twenties and in other ventures. About six years ago, before he passed, he gave me a little bit of money but told me that I was only to use it for something for myself. He knew that anytime I came into a bit of money, I would spend it on my family, something for the house, etc., so he gave me strict instructions that I could only use this money for myself. When the opportunity came along to buy a local Newsletter, I knew that this was the perfect use for the money he had given me. I was confident that he would love for me to spend the money in that way, and in doing so, he feels like part of 305 Hive.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I bought an existing local Newsletter in the fall of 2019 and rebranded it as 305 Hive. I was lucky enough to retain several clients but was still learning the business and just in the process of introducing myself to clients and media buyers when the pandemic hit. Our primary source of income is advertising, so with the shutdown, there were no longer events to promote, etc. Not only were people not advertising because they didn’t have anything to promote, but others were cutting back significantly. Our content was also affected as much of what we do is promoting local businesses and events. I briefly considered putting the company on pause but then pivoted. I decided that we should continue to offer something to the community through our Newsletter’s articles and features to give people something to look forward to reading each week. We also decided instead of focusing on the paid advertisers that, we would find ways to support others. We hosted zoom events weekly; we supported local restaurants by providing free advertising and the like. One of our favorite features was born during this time called The Local Business Buzz, where we feature a local business in the community each month at no charge. Companies are nominated that need support and perhaps cannot afford to advertise, or maybe they are supporting others in the community, and we want to highlight their accomplishments.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://305hive.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/305hive
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/305HIVE
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/samanthamurphy305hive

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