In It Together
We love the Greenville community, and we tirelessly champion the incredible humans behind the small businesses across our city.
We do what we do because we believe that we can create a better world if we work together with compassion, inclusiveness, and empathy.
We’re more than visual storytellers. We’re advocates, marketers, consultants, and connectors.
Here’s what some of our favorite humans have to say about working with the Off The Grid Greenville team, which was founded by Jackie Shapiro Brooker in 2016.
Writer: Melissa Hayes
Photos: Fisheye Studios and Jackie Shapiro Brooker
“there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it.
If only we're brave enough to be it.”
Amanda Gorman
Pictured Here: Off The Grid Greenville founder, Jackie Shapiro Brooker, works with Liz Daly of Liz Daly Designs.
Off The Grid helps you find your footing
When Meredith Myles left her family business in Ohio and moved her family to South Carolina in 2016, she knew she’d reopen a pizzeria eventually. She just didn’t know where to begin. Her real estate agent connected her with Jackie. “I was feeling desperate. I just called her and told her who I was and what I was doing. She talked to me for probably an hour or two helping me flesh out ideas and locations,” says Meredith. A couple of years later, Myles Pizza Pub opened its doors. “I knew that she worked with restaurants, but I didn't fully know the extent of it. When you come to a new town and know so little, it's so helpful to have an organization like Off The Grid to help guide you.”
Pictured Here: Meredith with her parents and daughter. Myles Pizza Pub is a family-owned and operated business.
An untapped resource for independent businesses
“Off The Grid has helped us so much with bouncing ideas around on advertising and marketing, and they’ve been super instrumental in getting us into different publications and getting us connected with people. They helped us get featured in Thrillist and make amazing connections with influencers in the area,” says Meredith.
“I don't think the general public realizes what all they do because I didn’t before I started working with them. I think that a lot of people see them and think they have great suggestions for food. But behind the scenes, they're invaluable for a lot of us running independent businesses.”
Pictured Here: Bridgette, Meredith Myles’ mother, rolls t-shirts.
Off the grid greenville gets the word out
We’ve received a lot of great feedback from customers who say they’ve seen us on Off The Grid,” says Kenisha Brantley who co-owns The Seafood Spot with her husband, Greg. “We’ve had a lot of customers come in just from their efforts.”
The restaurant has been open for three and a half years, and the Brantley family says that Off The Grid has been there for them all along the way. The restaurant’s success and expanded demographics have even allowed them to open a second location in Spartanburg.
“Even pre-pandemic, they’ve always been awesome,” says Kenisha. “They’re always marketing us, tagging us on social, and supporting us. We appreciate them.”
Pictured Here: John with FishEye Studios works with Greg and family on photography to showcase and market their business.
We’re in your corner
Running a business hasn’t been easy for many, but our AAPI communities have been especially and unjustifiably marginalized in the last year. Off The Grid has relentlessly combated hate and stands behind our AAPI community members. We’ve worked closely with Alva Suk-Yin Mak and the Asia Pacific team to help expand their demographics, showcase their incredible talents, and boost their business.
Pictured Here: A behind-the-scenes shot of Jackie and Alva during a brainstorming session.
Off The Grid helps businesses expand their reach
Because of Off The Grid’s efforts, Asia Pacific is now considered one of the best Chinese restaurants in the Upstate and has received numerous accolades for its cleanliness and food quality.
During the height of Covid last year, Off The Grid rushed to Alva’s aid with measuring tape and posters to help them prepare the retail portion of their store for safety and compliance. Jackie also helped them space out the tables in their restaurant to the mandatory six feet.
“I have always lived by two adages: Never again but better; and You never know what you don’t know,” says Stacey Desrosiers, owner of Inky’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks.
“To find others that live these mantras is extremely rare in today’s world. Enter Jackie and Off The Grid Greenville. The moment I met her I knew my soul recognized a kindred spirit. An individual with a fire for greatness and a thirst for the advancement of knowledge and those around her.”
nurturing growth in our small business community
Like many of our independent businesses in the area, Inky’s is a family affair. When you work with Off The Grid, we consider you part of our family too, and we love to watch our family grow! We work hard to help businesses like Inky’s realize their potential. Stacey is now preparing to open an entire development called The Silos in Easley with multiple vendors and a new location for Inky’s.
“One of the greatest benefits of working with Jackie and Off The Grid Greenville was the knowledge afforded to me about social media, photography, about the local business scene, and about the underlying ebbs and flows of the Upstate of SC,” says Stacey. “Her ability to kindly teach, to guide, and to lead you to understanding is a goldmine in itself.
As a newer entrepreneur, there was so much that I didn’t know I didn’t know. As the years of our working relationship have grown, so has my knowledge. Jackie takes the time to find the diamond in the rough and to nurture it in a way that this world needs more of. Her empathy, her humor, and her ability to tell it straight have made me a better business owner and person.”
Meet our jackie-of-all-trades
“I’ve always enjoyed being behind the scenes. I’m not doing this to promote myself. I’m an artist and an educator. Having the space to teach, create, and connect makes me happy and fills my cup. I’m from a big city where diversity was the norm and was celebrated together. People of all walks of life came together for meals and experiences. This was commonplace, and it should be that way here too. I’m using all of my experience in PR, marketing, food and beverage, education, and personal relationships to help diversify and develop this community. I don’t claim to know how to do everything, but I can certainly connect you with people and resources who can.”
Here are just a few of the ways Off The Grid helps Greenville’s independent businesses:
✨ Fostering connections and relationship development
✨ One-on-one consultations
✨ Local area guidance
✨ Community awareness
✨ Empowering marginalized demographics
✨ Liaising with publications
✨ Events and programming
Gratitude for our Supporters
We’d like to offer our sincerest thanks to Leah Grabo for being a huge supporter of Off The Grid Greenville! This beautiful soul is one of our biggest donors. Leah loves our local community as hard as we do, and she knows that her contributions allow us to do amazing things for our beloved town.
Off The Grid pours donations back into our own neighborhoods. Our sponsors allow us to uplift underrepresented and grassroots business owners through education and empowerment initiatives. If you love Greenville and the work we’re doing to improve our community for all, please consider supporting us!
How else can you support us?
Join us!
Tickets are live now for Off The Grid’s 5th Birthday Brunch on Saturday, August 21st. If you don’t know already, we only throw a party every five years, so don’t miss out! We’re selling only 100 for each session.