Rita Brooks with Palmly

Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome back to the start of Showdown podcast where we discuss pitching, funding and scaling startups. Join us as we interview winners, mentors and judges of the monthly $120,000 pitch competition powered by Panoramic Ventures. We also discuss the latest updates in software Web3, Healthcare, Tech, FinTech, and more. Now sit tight as we interview this week’s guest and their journey through entrepreneurship.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:38] Lee Kantor here another episode of Startup Showdown, and this is going to be a fun one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor Panoramic Ventures. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Startup Showdown, we have Rita Brooks with Parmly. Welcome, Rita.

Rita Brooks: [00:00:55] Hi, Lee. Thank you so much for having me. I’m happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:58] While I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about Parmley. How are you serving folks?

Rita Brooks: [00:01:03] Sure. So Parmley is a mobile platform that helps people find and build community. It also helps them to grow in faith and ultimately get plugged into a local church in their area through our sophisticated matching system that we call tight end so our users can deepen their faith through our growth segments, which are these curated live stream content from our community creators covering a range of topics from a biblical perspective. So think parenting, relationships, health and wellness, all the things. And then we also facilitate learning and deeper connection with our faith spaces. And these are virtual small group sessions with curriculum based learning and interactive discussion. So everything on our platform essentially is helping people connect, engage and grow together.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:49] So what was the genesis of the idea? Did you start out in faith and in community building and said, I wish there was technology that helped this? Or did you start out in technology and said, hey, this would be a good fit for the people in the faith community?

Rita Brooks: [00:02:04] So the former, like many ventures, Kami was basically based birth out of my own experiences. So there was a time in my life when I had just moved to Atlanta. I wasn’t in a very good place and I was just looking for a fresh start, you know. So I was in the same position as many of the users on our platform. So I was a Christian, but I was not doing much to to learn or grow in my faith. I was what you would call a non-practicing Christian. So I didn’t go to church or anything. But one day I met this group of people randomly. They came up to me, they introduced themselves to me. I was at a Chick fil A and we started hanging out. We started going to church together, doing fun things in our community. And that really catapulted me in my faith and in life in general. So eventually I became involved in ministry myself where I began to help people grow in their faith. And I noticed a trend where the people who thrive the most in their faith, they had this community as well. So my husband and I, we set out to make community and growth more accessible to everyone, and that’s what we’re doing through Parmalee.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:03] So how did you kind of conceptualize the idea before it touched the technology, like you wanted it to be a community in real life? Right. That was an important component of this.

Rita Brooks: [00:03:15] Exactly. For sure. We noticed that most of the things that we do in real life, we can basically transfer that to technology. Right, because that’s where most people are gathering, which is online anyway. And so for myself and my husband, we used to lead these small groups. We were a part of the head of the singles ministry. And so we would put together these fun events. We would help facilitate growth and learning ourselves. So we just really translated that over to the technology portion to try to do it on a larger scale.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:42] So were you or your husband? Were either of you technologists like you knew how to build these things or did you have to go and find a team to do that part of it?

Rita Brooks: [00:03:52] Yeah, not at all. So my husband did work in technology sales, but I wouldn’t necessarily say he is a techie. We did go out and find people who could help us with the actual technology portion as far as building and developing and things like that.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:07] So what was that experience like to, you know, because now you have to find a community within a community, right? Like you have to find people that kind of believe in this mission and want to participate and help build the community around this community.

Rita Brooks: [00:04:22] Exactly. And let me tell you, it’s been a journey. It has definitely been a journey. But you definitely find these pockets of people who both know about the technology world and they care about the mission and they see the vision. And that’s why I’m so passionate about getting connected to different programs and resources and then talking to other founders as well, because you do find people who could help you come across on this journey. But it hasn’t been easy at all.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:47] Has it been? Is there any mentors or anybody that has given you some some advice that you’re like, wow, that was really great that this person came into my life because that helped us, you know, get to a new place for sure.

Rita Brooks: [00:05:02] So I was fortunate to be a part of a Techstars program, a Techstars founder, Catalyst. And in that I got connected to many mentors and many different resources. There is one in particular who happens to be the entrepreneur in residence, and she really believed in the vision. She believed in me as a founder and we continue to connect today. And so she’s been a huge resource in our journey.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:26] Now being a founder is hard. Being a female founder is hard. Has it been difficult being a female founder in this faith? I don’t want to say faith industry, but the faith niche.

Rita Brooks: [00:05:41] I think it’s been harder than being a male founder. Not necessarily in the face, but just being a female founder in general. Because I do believe there are these extreme expectations that are on female founders. However, I do believe that we are kind of in a really good time because there are more resources and more programs and more people rallying around the female founder. Now, whether they are in my industry and the religious tech industry or industries across the board. And so I think it’s there’s this interesting dichotomy where there’s still these expectations that we have, but there’s also help and resources like never before.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:22] And I would think that your solution is really could be part of a bigger solution in this regard in building community around that or that group as well.

Rita Brooks: [00:06:33] You know what? I’ve actually never thought about that before, but I can certainly see that the that’s the power of community, right? Once you have a mission that you’re rallying around, it kind of drives further missions from there. So I can definitely see that within a community, within the community.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:50] So now how did you hear about startup shutdown? How did that get on your radar?

Rita Brooks: [00:06:57] My team, I have actually been following sort of showdown in panoramic for a while, especially on social media. And just in the Atlanta tech scene in general. We certainly admire Paul and Mark in the entire pandemic team for their work in the tech world. So we decided it was time to finally apply because I had just completed that Techstars founder college program. We have made some great progress and we decided, hey, we’re going to shoot our shot. So it was pretty surreal to actually be a part of the process and on the stage to pitch the judges in front of this massive crowd, because we had witnessed several shows before. And so to be there was pretty amazing.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:31] So you had seen other people do this in the past and now it was you shooting the shot. What what was kind of your biggest takeaway? What were some of the things that you found most beneficial?

Rita Brooks: [00:07:44] Oh, several things. Several things. Mentor Day was really helpful. I had the opportunity during Mentor Day to allow my pitch to be heard. You know, it was four different people from four different backgrounds. And it’s always really valuable to have different eyes and ears on what you’re building, especially in the space that I am. It’s so unique. And so they each brought their feedback based on their expertize. What was especially helpful for me was my one on one with Paul Judge. So to have him to listen to my pitch and to give me advice on how to present it to a VC who would better understand it, that was pretty incredible. And then lastly, the exposure. So Lee, I cannot tell you how many people who’ve seen me at different tech events and come over to talk to me because they saw me on Startup Showdown and the people in the organizations who’ve reached out to me for different opportunities, just simply based on my time at Startup Showdown. So the more eyes and ears of my company, the better. The exposure has been really great.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:37] So let’s get in the weeds a little bit with Parmly. What exactly is the service and the how? Like, who is the consumer? Is it the individual that, like you said, I come to a city and I don’t know anybody and I just kind of plug into Parmley and I can kind of get the lay of the land. Is it for churches to say, hey, check out our church? These are some of the events that we have going on, like who is the users and and how does it work?

Rita Brooks: [00:09:03] That is a great question. So we like to think of it as a double sided marketplace. So it’s for the individual and not just an individual who’s moving from another state to a different location. That’s part of it. But really, it’s for the individuals who are like myself, so they consider themselves Christian, or maybe they’re exploring Christianity. They’re not even sure if they’re Christian, but they’re wanting to explore. They’re wanting to listen in on topics or wanting to grow and learn more. And so we’re catering to those individuals. And then on the other side of that, churches as well. So the church landscape has shifted and has been shifting for some time now. And churches are really looking for this innovative way to grow their congregation, especially since the pandemic. They were forced to go online. And so I think it’s a really great time for them because whereas before, they kind of would have shrunk back at the thought of technology, now they’re really embracing it. I think they realize that they need it. They need it to survive and they need it to ultimately thrive. Right. And on the other side of that, with the individuals, now more than ever, people are looking for hope, they’re looking for faith, and they’re needing a community to explore these things with. And so they’re turning to technology to do these things. There’s apps already out there like Halo or Glorify that are helping people do this on apps. And so we’re helping both parties and this double sided marketplace effect as we’re building an online community around a common interest and then matching them with the local church that will help better serve them.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:29] Now, are some people finding a church that may not necessarily be close to them if they really resonate with the message and the people and the community? But they just participate virtually. They don’t ever, you know, enter the building.

Rita Brooks: [00:10:48] Yeah, that is certainly possible, especially in today’s landscape, because most churches are online now. We do try to get them to connect locally though, but that’s a part of some of the questions that we ask them what they prefer online, what they prefer in person, or is there no preference at all? If we have our way, we would have them to connect locally. But online is certainly an option, especially right now in today’s church climate.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:10] So how does it work from the monetization side? Is it the church pays to be part of this?

Rita Brooks: [00:11:18] So the church pays a subscription, either an annual or monthly subscription in order to have access to Titan, which is the church matching system. And so sort of partnered with us and become a part of that database. So right now they’re using things like billboards or paid ads in order to bring people into their doors. And so this is an innovative way to get people who are actually looking for church like theirs because it can be hit or miss. So we can go visit the church, we can get recommendations from friends or family or Google. But what we’re doing is we’re we’re kind of like a Match.com. We’re actually asking you for your preferences, what you’re looking for, and kind of matching you to a church that fits your culture. And so churches. Really can benefit from that.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:57] So then the parishioner doesn’t pay?

Rita Brooks: [00:11:59] No.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:00] So this is just so then it’s a double sided marketplace. But the way the church benefits is they get a congregant who might pay them, then they become a congregant there that is tithing and doing all those things that they do.

Rita Brooks: [00:12:16] That is correct. For the for the churches and the pastors, it’s about impact. Obviously, they do this because they want to see life change. And then. Yes, so it’s a part of the tithing and the giving of that. This is part of the the church culture. So, yeah, they definitely get a benefit in that way as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:30] Now, is it out in the wild? Like, what stage are you at right now?

Rita Brooks: [00:12:34] So we actually just launched about 4 to 5 weeks ago now. And so we actually are in the marketplace. If you go to WW, we are Palm Lidcombe, anyone can join the community, get connected at church, can connect with us, partner with us. And so we have launched as of late.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:52] So do you have churches that are using it, their customers?

Rita Brooks: [00:12:56] We actually have ten people that have asked to be matched to a church. And so we’re in the process of matching them to churches right now. So we’ve been in contact with several different churches and the locations that we’ve gotten users yet that are wanting to be matched.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:09] So what do you need more of? How can we help?

Rita Brooks: [00:13:12] We are looking always looking for churches to partner with. We’re always looking for individuals who are looking for a community like ours. And so and this double sided marketplace, that’s really what we’re looking for, the churches as well as the people who are looking for a community like ours.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:25] Right. And having a double sided marketplace. That’s always the chicken and egg. Right. Like you have to kind of work on both simultaneously. But is there did you are you attacking them both simultaneously or is it more important to get churches first and then the congregants will come or vice versa?

Rita Brooks: [00:13:43] We are attacking it simultaneously, but it is about supply and demand, right? As long as we have the people there, the thriving community, the engaged community, the churches will definitely come because this is something that is a need for them. So we’re doing it simultaneously right now, but we’re also more focusing on the community and building it up and getting the people engaged.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:04] So what are some of the things you’re doing in that regard to to make the community want to be part of this?

Rita Brooks: [00:14:10] Our growth segments are a really huge part of that. And so with our growth segments, we do have Christian content creators who host these weekly live segments across the board on those different topics. And so they’re helping the community to learn more, to engage more, and it helps them to actually stay in the app and have these hours of watch time and want to be here in the community.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:32] So then that must be another thing that you need more of. Right.

Rita Brooks: [00:14:36] Creators as well. That’s a good point. Yep.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:39] Well, congratulations on all the success. Once again, if somebody wants to learn more, what is the coordinates.

Rita Brooks: [00:14:47] So you can visit us at W WW get parmley dot com. If you want to learn more about the community. If you want to partner with us as a church or to lhis point, if you want to get connected with us as a Christian content creator.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:01] Now before we wrap up, any advice for other founders out there? Anything do’s or don’ts or things you must have, must do or must not do?

Rita Brooks: [00:15:11] Ooh, a couple of things, Lee. So, first of all, buckle up and buckle up. You are going for a ride, but make sure you’re committed to the ride for the long haul. Sometimes this right actually feels like a roller coaster ride. There can be these really low lows, right. But there can also be incredibly high. High. So always remember why you started. That’s one of the the main things that I always go back to remembering how I started and then work every single day to make your business as successful as you want it to be. And then don’t be afraid to fail. You know, there are also lessons in those failures, is what I’m learning. They equip us and they’re doing more for us than we initially understand to help move the needle forward. So don’t be afraid to fail. And then finally, this is really important. Get mentors or at the very least have conversations. Take someone out for coffee. Just talk to people who’ve been where you are and who have achieved some level of success because they more they know more than we do at this point and could really be instrumental in the journey to the top. Other founders who are up and coming, they have their place as well. I love surrounding myself with other up and coming founders, but the people who have been here before, they carry a special wisdom that can really help to serve us in our business.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:20] And I’m sure you you realize that every entrepreneur is in the faith business.

Rita Brooks: [00:16:27] You have a really good point. That is true. We are having faith that our business are going to succeed, they’re going to thrive and that we can actually make a difference in the world. That’s a really good point.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:36] Lee Well, Rita, once again, thank you so much for sharing your story and the website one more time.

Rita Brooks: [00:16:42] Ww W dot get Parmelee dot com.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:46] And that’s Palma y.

Rita Brooks: [00:16:49] Palma Y correct.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:51] All right Rita thank you again. This is Lee Kantor. We will see all. Next time on Startup Showdown.

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