Helping small businesses grow their local presence, and having fun doing it
I am a very self-driven individual with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for building, promoting, and creating small businesses.”
Dani Natcher has a great job. As Santa Barbara’s Community ambassador for Yelp, she helps businesses throw parties to build awareness and introduce the team to the public. Yelp is the publisher of crowd-sourced reviews on millions of businesses. When we learned that Dani has such a unique job, we had to have her on the show.
Dani works diligently with businesses and her ‘Elite Squad,’ which is comprised of active local Yelper’s who consistently write reviews on the site. They’re invited to events, product demonstrations and given the opportunity to meet founders and owners of local businesses.
This conversation with Mark and Patrick led to some interesting insights into Dani’s personality, her work with Yelp and what it’s like being a recent graduate of Antioch University. Dani describes herself this way, “I am a very self-driven individual with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for building, promoting, and creating small businesses.”
- Just received her Batchelor’s Degree in Marketing from Antioch, where she graduated with honors
- She’s a local from the 805 (Newberry Park)
- Why does she wear a pendant of the state of California
- What the Elite Squad is and how it works
- Why Yelp has local ambassadors in communities – she’s one of only 65 in the world.
- Her tips on local businesses that she sees doing a great job with their customers and the community: Good Cup on the Mesa, Educated Car Wash, and Pacific Press
- How an event she produced at Brass Bear Brewing in Santa Barbara helped launch that brand locally.
- She talks about her other projects, including XMO, Extreme Mobility Camps for the Blind
- What does she look for when she walks into a business for the first time? The answer may surprise you.
Dani is also volunteering for TEDxSantaBarbara 2017’s event on November 11 at the New Vic Theater. She’s the Food and Beverage Captain, helping to connect the local craft food scene to the event. We’re looking forward to some innovation and fun as a result.