Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlita Pitts.
Hi Carlita, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’m Carlita Pitts, a content creator living in Rockville, MD, but I spend much time in the wineries and vineyards in Maryland and Virginia. I’m passionate about travel, wine, beauty, and style. I’ve traveled worldwide to different wine regions, including the US, Portugal, Thailand, India, and Greece. I also love food and enjoy dining out with friends.
I’ve been fortunate to indulge in some of the best food and wine experiences, and I look forward to continuing to travel to explore more food and wine destinations.
My love for exploring wine regions started when I moved to the DC area in 2011. A lovely gentleman took me on a date to three vineyards; two in Virginia and one in Maryland, and I fell in love – with the vineyards, of course, not him. Since then, I’ve visited over 300 wineries across the globe and over 200 in Maryland and Virginia.
As much as I loved visiting the MD and VA wineries, I noticed that there wasn’t much diversity in the places I was seeing, and the marketing materials didn’t feature many people that looked like me. Then, I decided to start documenting my wine travels via social (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.) I received such excellent feedback and questions from many who were interested in exploring those regions that it motivated me to visit more places and blog about my travels. Since then, I’ve been featured and quoted in numerous magazine and blog articles and talked about my love for wine travel on podcasts.
After an overwhelming response to my blog and social channels, I launched my content creation and marketing business focused on wine travel. It has been so amazing to meet new friends who run similar companies and have a passion for wine and wine travel.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I wouldn’t call it a smooth road, as there have been some challenges. Owning a business, particularly a content creation business, can be challenging.
I constantly have to remind individuals and other companies that approach me regarding collaborations or partnerships that I am not just an “influencer”; I am a creative who is passionate about wine travel, and that “free” work is not an option. I tell people often that when owning a business, you have to know your worth, and you cannot be afraid to say no to opportunities that don’t align with your mission or values.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
DiVine Lita is a creative content creation and marketing business focusing on wine travel. We specialize in designing and producing content that helps to tell a brand’s story in all its forms, audio, video, and text, and distribute it through any medium or channel.
We launched in 2020, but since then, we have worked with multiple wine distributors, PR agencies, wineries, hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, and more. What I love most is being connected with so many people in the wine and travel industries who have become our closest friends and partners.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Passion + Persistence, + Optimism are the characteristics that I believe are critical to success. No matter what you do for a living, it is essential to be passionate about what you are doing. My work can sometimes feel like a thankless and rewardless job, but I still love to do it anyway. Loving what you do can make those long hours feel like minutes. It’s also important to be persistent.
As a young black woman, I’ve encountered many individuals and companies that did not take me seriously or tried to lowball me, but I remained persistent and went after what I wanted. And for the many times I’ve been told no, something better has always come along. And that brings me to the last characteristic – optimism. You must remain optimistic as you may hear more nos than yes and stay positive.
Contact Info:
- Website: divinelita.com
- Instagram: @iamthelita
- Twitter: @iamthelita
Image Credits
Carlita Pitts, @iamthelita
