Old Salt Festival 2024 Continued - Gratitude, Connections and Oysters on the half shell!

I met some REALLY interesting people while providing hospitality and other support at this three day event and feel so fortunate for the opportunity! 

After chatting with Christian Wallowing Bull, an indigenous singer-songwriter from Wyoming, several times over the weekend, I was able to hear him perform during an early morning pasture walk on the Mannix Ranch. On each occasion that we spoke he expressed his gratitude for being there. I am very confident that gratitude was a common emotion among Old Salt Festival attendees, certainly by me.

Christian Wallowing Bull

Although not a headliner, my favorite performer of the weekend was Zia Blue, a former American Idol contestant who wowed me not only with her talent, but with her youthful spunk, sparkling smile and her vulnerable sharing about how hard it is to make it in the music industry.  Her style is pop country and she performed both well-known covers and songs that she wrote herself. Zia was accompanied on keyboard by her brother and is a native of nearby Ovando, MT, a rural community of 44 as of the 2022 census. She caught my eye as she bopped around all weekend, helping in the outdoor kitchen, listening to other performers and speakers, and enjoying the company of her friends and family who came to cheer her on. I, too, am rooting for you Zia!

Former American Idol contestant Zia Blue performing - and YES, that backdrop is real!

Guest chefs from farm-to-table specialists Tournant of Portland, OR and Woodberry Kitchen of Baltimore, MD nourished and delighted the crowd on Saturday and Sunday. As a Maryland native, I was very happy when I learned of the Baltimore team traveling with oysters, even though it seemed a suprising choice for a Montana-centric event. After doing some reading, I learned that Woodberry Kitchen and Old Salt Co-Op have Steward Regenerative Capital, a portfolio of loans made to a collection of regenerative farms, ranches, fisheries and food producers, in common.

Farewell to new friends and an ever-growing network that makes my personal
and professional life all the richer.


This blog post is part of a series documenting my trip to Montana where I am performing non-traditional executive and personal assistant services with creativity, humor and through strategic relationship-building.  Please contact me to discuss how I can help you expand your bandwidth with fractional lifestyle management.


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