Conversations with Brenda Geiger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Geiger.

Hi Brenda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
About six years ago, I was working in Corporate America in insurance. The industry was risk-averse, slow and I was bored. One morning in the shower, writing a book about Kansas City dive bars popped into my head. It would be the perfect creative outlet and side hustle for me. I’ve always had a dive bar fetish. My step dad’s country bar helped put me through college off its pool table quarters and I once hit every dive bar from Homer to Soldotna, Alaska, with my Uncle Gary.

While big markets like Houston and LA had bar guides, no city Kansas City’s size was doing a dive bar guide. So, I began the interviews and my research grew to fill a large file box representing one-third of the top dive bars in Kansas City. Then life got in the way and I shelved the project.

When the pandemic struck in 2020, I dug out the dusty box. Opening it made me feel alive again and thrilled to have a business (Geiger Media) to build during the quarantine.

Because of the fluctuating hospitality scene and pandemic-related closings, EatDrinkDive launched with a bigger vision than to be just a local dive bar guide. It is the online guide to 100% local places to eat, drink and stay in Kansas City.

They say there is a two-year learning curve to get the nuts and bolts of blogging down to an art. I have now become well versed in the mechanics of widgets, plugins, domain authority, backlinks, SEO optimization, and the list goes on and on.

I’ve learned things the hard way like who to subcontract and who not to through my favorite platform, Upwork. I’ve had my Google Analytics code stolen, my content scrapped, and my site crash multiple times. Still, I have pressed on and developed a product I’m proud of and that will provide family-owned bars, restaurants, lounges, distilleries, wineries, and dives a place to get promoted affordably.

Rather than spending thousands of dollars annually with magazines and huge directory sites like Yelp, local businesses can get the exposure that leads to new customers at EatDrinkDive for hundreds of dollars annually.

My site traffic peaked at 10,000 monthly views last October, dropped to 2K after the presidential election. Traffic has returned to 10K monthly views now that I’ve hired a stellar SEO contractor off of Upwork.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a steep learning curve compared to my 2012 blog, Midlife Mona Lisa. That blog grew quickly and got me on national television without nearly the effort this one is taking.

As I said, I’ve had a black hat SEO vendor steal my Google Analytics code for nine months, had a blog directory site I paid a subscription to help overseas websites scrape my content and outrank me for my own content.

I’ve cast too wide of a net. I started with just a Kansas City focus, broaden to a Midwest focus, and returned to a Kansas City focus because I quickly learned I didn’t have the resources or bandwidth.

I’ve worked so many hours that I’ve had to ice my wrist at times because of overuse of my computer mouse hand.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My mother named me Brenda after the red-headed reporter, Brenda Starr. So, it’s not surprising that I love interviewing people and reporting. I majored in journalism and photography at the University of Central Missouri. Then I mastered in media communications at Webster University.

I’ve run my own PR and marketing firms 15 years and worked another 15 years in Corporate America in marketing.

Like so many others, I was laid off during the pandemic. Tapping into my entrepreneurial spirit and building a platform that could help struggling restaurants and bars, was creatively healing.

Like Brenda Starr, I absolutely love to interview people about their business, vision, and family. I love telling their stories through words, pictures and videos.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Kansas City is my jam. When I moved to Nashville for a month to launch two urgent care clinics, I had the option to make the job permanent. Though Nashville a fun city, it wasn’t for me.

Kansas City is so much better — affordable, friendly, safe and action-packed with culture and things to do.

Plus, it is the 4th most dive-bar rich city in America according to a 2014 article by Travel and Leisure.

The only downside of living in Kansas City is the winters. My husband and I will probably retire someplace where we can be outside and bike year-round.

Pricing:

• $150 to claim a listing
• $200 to get a listing
• $25 a month for calendar inclusion
• $2500 for exclusive category sponsorship

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.eatdrinkdive.com
• Instagram: @eatdrinkdive.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/eatdrinkdivekc
• Twitter: @BrendaClev
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe7d-ai5kEz586nQ5pNJf9Q
• Other: www.hirebrenda.com

Image Credits
Brian Rice, photograph (hat photo)