What a wonderful opportunity to speak to Brielle the founder of the Gilded Bellini on Instagram as well as the bubbly outgoing personality off the gram. Brunch: a meal usually taken late in the morning that combines a late breakfast and an early lunch. Read Brielle’s full interview to find out why brunch is the most important meal of the day.
Who is Brielle and is brunch the most important meal of the day?
B: I am Brielle, founder and on-camera personality of The Gilded Bellini – a site that celebrates the brunching lifestyle and features tips on how to live a super chic and fun life in a very real, affordable and attainable way. The Gilded Bellini is committed to connecting experiential-passionate millennials through social experiences. I also am an on-air host and frequently appear on live morning shows to do lifestyle segments. Brunch is the most important meal of the day because there’s so much freedom attached to it. It’s an occasion. It’s socially acceptable to eat or drink whatever you want and dress as up or down as you want. Coffee or a mimosa? Pancakes or salad? Heels on at 10 am? I’ll take it all.
Other than my blog/brand, I am a Jersey girl born and raised turned New Yorker and now I reside in SoCal. I am a results-driven, efficient and ambitious person with goals that most think are unrealistic but I am working on making my list of future accomplishments come to fruition.
Tell us about the Brunching Lifestyle and your blog the Gilded Bellini?
B: The Gilded Bellini is nearly 4 years old this March! The brunching lifestyle consists of different elements that culminate into one… keep reading and you’ll see: I came up with the idea to start a brunch-centric blog when I lived in NYC. My group of friends and I loved going to all the trendy spots and just being able to hang out, relax, have cocktails and leave the week behind. We always ran into young professionals like us that were going to brunch every weekend, laughing and eating, popping champagne and even dancing at some spots. I noticed that the brunching lifestyle never really had a presence online. Of course, there are people who blog about aspects of the brunch experience but never the whole package: the food, the cocktails, what you wear, the ambiance, the kind of crowd who goes to those places. This developed naturally as people came to me for my recommendations. Someone needed to capture the experience and make it relatable. I wanted that person to be me.
The Gilded Bellini is devoted to showcasing this lifestyle through several facets of the site. Its specialty is its brunch reviews, where I film an episode in a restaurant and host my viewers through a specific brunching experience.
What has been your most memorable experience thus far?
B: I have certainly had quite a few but one of my favorites was partnering with Z Gallerie in 2018 for the holiday season. I created a signature cocktail in partnership with Z Gallerie, created a tutorial video and shared some of my favorite holiday entertaining tips. I was featured on Z Gallerie’s website for a few months of the season which was awesome. Continuing the partnership, I collaborated with the brand on an in-store event to drive sales, create buzz and bring people together to experience the store through the eyes of The Gilded Bellini. I demo’d my cocktail live in front of an audience and shared some of my go-to at-home bar accessories and entertainment items.
I also had the opportunity a few summers ago to film with Gordon Ramsay on his show “The F Word” and have hosted my own segments on outlets like MORE FOX 5 Vegas, FOX 5 San Diego as well as CBS 5 Good Morning Arizona.
What central message do you hope your audience will take away through your Instagram feed and following your blog?
B: That’s a great question. My site is meant to be a happy escape. A place where I share things and places that are really cool in my eyes. I love being the trusted person to give recommendations or sharing the must-know information about different things which ultimately creates a space for conversation and interest that brings people together. It’s a no-brainer that there is so much on social media that is a façade and is very unattainable.
I don’t try to compete with the unattainable content. I just post realistically –it’s as simple as that. I share where I go and what I do. I’m no millionaire (although I strive to lead a very prosperous life one day) but I still manage to make time to experience things that are fabulous in my eyes and share my opinions on firsthand. I would like to think that is appealing to an audience. I love that no matter who it is, whether you’re a guy or a girl or located anywhere on the map, you can still have these fun times and go to these brunches – connect with people, let loose, be social, indulge and escape for a few hours. Go to the spots that deserve to have photos taken of them.
I have found that since starting The Gilded Bellini, I am so much more aware of my surroundings and I want to capture it at every second. I hope in some way my site and my feed do that for some people.
Your blog and Instagram account occasionally feature snippets of your travel adventures, fashion, and lifestyle tips. How do these elements make you a more versatile creator?
B: It shows that I can have a niche but still branch out and share different elements while being able to effectively tie it back to the core identity of my brand. Shaking it up is always a good thing. A brand is like a relationship. Well, it is a relationship for sure (it’s literally my child and my marriage all in one lol). But it’s also like a flower. If you don’t water it, it’ll die. I consider watering it as keeping the spark alive between me, my brand and my followers/viewers/audience. I get so bored very easily so it’s important for me to showcase the new things I spot and I love. At the same time, everything you mentioned literally makes up what I consider the brunching lifestyle, so it’s a must.
The greatest lesson you’ve learned in this business is….
B: The only person you can depend on to make something happen is you. Work hard, do it well and go above and beyond. It’ll get you noticed and you’ll find your resources you were looking for. But it 100% starts with you. You need to believe in yourself, your brand, your skills and the longevity of what you created. Once you do, then the rest will follow. Also, thick skin is a must because a lot of people will critique your every move and your creative work (which can sometimes be the worst).
On a personal note, what are some of the most important things in your life?
B: Love, faith and health. Without all 3, you don’t really have anything. I love to love and be loved by the supportive people in my life. Faith drives me and The Gilded Bellini because everything in having your own brand is setting yourself up for the unknown – success, failure, highs and lows but you have to just believe. Health is most important. You only have one mind and one body.
When choosing whether or not to work with a brand, how do you decide? How do you ensure that sponsored content fits in seamlessly with your organic content?
B: I dig deeper into the brand and see if its mission (or if it’s a product, ingredients) and aesthetic aligns with The Gilded Bellini. I am lucky in the fact that The Gilded Bellini is quite versatile and cohesively can be blended with a lot of brands. I think about if it would interest those who are following me or if they’d just skip over it. It’s an analysis every time but of course number one is if I actually consume what the brand is pitching to me or if I support the campaign/job.
What do you think is the most important quality for the influencer to possess?
B: There’s a lot of things that I think an influencer should possess, but I definitely he/she needs be versatile. This social media world is ever-changing and you need to be able to mold into different directions and opportunities. You can’t really have a one-track mind in this business in terms of content creation because it’s a constant uphill battle of producing and showcasing the next best thing because you want to be the expert of what you do. You have to be a few steps ahead of the game if you are able to. You can, however have a one-track mind for your ambitions and goals but allow yourself to try different things and not be nervous to veer off and dip your toes into something a little different than what you’re used to. It is a good thing. But it’s also not the same as “keeping up;” it’s more so about adapting and making it your own.
What should we be on the lookout for in 2020?
B: More on-camera work, hopefully more brunch review videos, bigger brand partnerships and TV opportunities. I’m also looking forward to sharing experiences and showcasing that through the lens of The Gilded Bellini. Wish I had some specifics but everything’s unknown til the opportunity pops up! I’m working hard at it all behind the scenes. However I will be on CBS 3 Vegas on January 30th talking about Super Bowl party tips for the wives and girlfriends… tune in if you can!
General words of wisdom you live by…
B: “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle
