Phyllis Williams-Strawder Tells Entrepreneur: Ditch the Elevator Pitch and Own Your Crazy
Interview
May 7, 2024
Brand Leadership
In a Restaurant Influencers conversation published by Entrepreneur, Phyllis Williams-Strawder explains why brand loyalty grows through honest conversations rather than polished pitches and why Founders leave money on the table when they refuse to build from what makes them distinct.
Phyllis Williams-Strawder joined Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef for a conversation about building brand loyalty, replacing polished pitches with honest dialogue, and owning the identity that makes a Founder recognizable.
Drawing on her experience growing Bigmista’s Barbecue into a multimillion-dollar business, Williams-Strawder reflects on the brand and marketing opportunities the company failed to fully use. Revenue alone did not mean the business had captured all the equity available through its reputation, relationships, and customer goodwill.
The conversation also examines Williams-Strawder’s decision to leave the Mrs. Mista identity and build Brandma’s House around the Ghetto Country Brandmother®. She challenges Founders to “own their crazy” instead of sanding away the personality, experience, and perspective that make the brand worth remembering.
Her larger argument is simple: people build loyalty through conversation and connection, not by carrying a rehearsed elevator pitch everywhere they go. A strong brand gives people something lasting to believe in beyond the immediate product being sold.