Enterprising Mables: Laura Rose & Terry Smith (Riot Squad Media)

Business: Riot Squad Media

Web page: www.riotsquadmedia.com / www.camppunksylvania.com

What does your business do?

- Riot Squad Media is a DIY media firm & collective specializing in PR, design, social media & management needs. We’re here to break the PR norm and give artists & businesses exactly what they need.

When and why did you start your business?

- We started Riot Squad officially in early November of 2020. Before that, the two of us worked together at Punksylvania.

Is it your full time job?

- No. Laura owns and operates a sandwich shoppe and Terry works for a nuclear waste company.

Do you have any business partners? If so, how did you come together and how do you make decisions?

- Its just the two of us. We met at a punk rock festival a few years back and have been close ever since. We realized we had a lot of the same ethos & goals, so it made sense for us to bring our skills together. Honesty and communication fuel us. We openly discuss all decisions and work together to come up with a solution that works best for our company and our clients.

Are there other people that work for your business or that support your business and if so, how many and what do they do?

- Yes! We are so very grateful for the amazing people behind us. Directly part of Riot Squad, we have Paul Smith, also known as Zombieteeth. Paul is a graphic designer on our team. We also have an entire squad (seriously, the Riot Squad) behind us for events we are putting on, such as Camp Punksylvania. This team is fully loaded with sound engineers, musicians, artists, teachers, IT techs and more.

How do you market your business?

- We are brand spankin’ new and currently promote through social media and our podcasts.

What has been most rewarding about your business?

- All of the support from our community is the most humbling feeling. We love to get people excited and united. Whether it be from our viewers, event goers or our clients, the support and genuine appreciation for what we are doing means the world.

What has been the biggest challenge involving your business?

- Our biggest challenge has also been our most rewarding challenge. We decided to rebrand so we could grow and change, and it has been the best thing for us.

What future plans do you have for your business?

- We’re excited for the future! We have been working every single day to bring amazing DIY events back safely. Camp Punksylvania is the biggest thing Riot Squad Media currently has in the works. It’s a punk rock camping and music festival in Artemas, PA featuring The Queers, Suzi Moon, After the Fall, Stolen Wheelchairs and more.

What advice would you have for someone else wanting to do something similar to what you have done?

- Absolutely go for it and we will be here to support you! We won’t lie and tell you that it's easy and it's always fun. Because it's not, but it is absolutely worth it. If you love something enough to want to see a better future for it, then that future is up to you. And we are here for it!

Anything else you would like to mention?

- We’d like to say thank you to everyone for the support! Be sure to follow Riot Squad Media and Camp Punksylvania for all the updates!

This is one in a series of posts about Mable Syndrome ladies who have their own business ventures. More to come soon! If you are a woman in the Mable community and have a business and would like to be included, please email us at wearemablesyndrome@gmail.com