At Philly PR Girl, we make it our mission to keep friends, colleagues, and readers informed of the coolest, most talked about happenings in the city. It’s no wonder we love the work that Marla McDermott is doing as Founder and CEO of I Heart PHL, where she helps those new to the area to quickly and assuredly fall in love with all that Philadelphia had to offer.
When Marla started another venture – the private, ladies-only professional group, The Walnut Club – earlier this year, we knew we had to learn more. In support of women uplifting women (and in celebration of our great city), we got to chat with Marla about her work as an unofficial ambassador!
Philly PR Girl: Let’s start with an introduction! Where did you grow up and go to school around Philadelphia? What are your interests and hobbies?
Marla McDermott: Well, hello there. Like most Philadelphians, my roots run deep in this town. I grew up in an idealistic neighborhood in West Philadelphia called Overbrook Farms. Will Smith and I went to the same Catholic grade school called Our Lady of Lourdes. (Random fact: His first name is actually Willard). I attended High School on the Main Line at Archbishop Carroll and I’m a proud LaSalle University grad. I currently live in the Hawthorne section of the city with my cycling-obsessed husband and our rescue poodle, Lulu.
I’m a huge explorer: both when it comes to my outside environment and my inner-self. You can usually find me exploring the city on my bike (in a skirt and heels), traveling to far away places or reading business and leadership books.
Philly PR Girl: For those not yet familiar, tell us about your businesses: I Heart PHL and The Walnut Club. What is their function, and who benefits from them?
Marla McDermott: I Heart PHL is my love letter to Philadelphia. I act as a city ambassador offering access, comfort, and opportunities to new residents or companies. My specialty is helping newly relocated C-suite executives (and their trailing spouses) get settled in and plugged in upon moving here. I do this by showing them all the best of what PHL has to offer them, tailored to their specific needs, wants and interests. It’s essentially my job to help new residents fall so in love with Philadelphia, they never want to leave.
The Walnut Club is my passion for supporting the phenomenal women of this city in becoming more empowered leaders. It’s a community of high-powered women who want to cultivate meaningful and fruitful relationships with other like-minded, supportive women. I have always had a skill of seeking out the most dynamic and interesting people in a room and bringing them all together to share knowledge and connections… while having fun. The Walnut Club is an extension of that.
Philly PR Girl: What inspired you to start I Heart PHL?
Marla McDermott: I discovered a lot about myself through my solo backpacking trips. The main realizations were A) magic happens when a local shows you around their hometown. The experience can be transformative. B) my eyes were opened to what a world-class city my own hometown is and made me love and appreciate being a Philadelphian.
Connecting my passions to my purpose finally came together for me after an encounter with my husband’s co-worker, who relocated from Australia. Cassandra was 32, single, and a Global Director of their tech firm. Knowing what it’s like to be alone in a foreign city as a single woman, I was determined Cassandra wasn’t going to hate on PHL by feeling alone and bewildered here. (Looking back, I may have thrown myself on her. LOL).
I helped her get integrated emotionally, mentally, and culturally. Acting as a personal guide, I offered a full-spectrum of recommendations on everything from where to live, which doctors to visit, nail salons to trust, or even how to dress and tip like a Philadelphian. I integrated her socially by introducing her to a network of girlfriends whom she could relate to and rely on. She credited me with helping her fall in love with PHL, extended her stay, and encouraged me to turn what I did for her into a service. Cassandra is truly the Godmother of I Heart PHL. (Side note: I created a promo video where Cass has a cameo as my client. You can check it out HERE).
Philly PR Girl: As someone with vast knowledge of what’s fun and happening in Philly, where do you recommend couples and single friends go for Valentine’s Day this year?
Marla McDermott: In my single days, I acknowledged the holiday by celebrating my love of my girlfriends, and still do. For single girls, gather your friends and head out to a spacious BYOB that can handle lots of noise and laughter, followed by a night of dancing or listening to live music. La Viola, Ristorante Pesto, and August are all good options.
For couples, I recommend off the beaten path options, such as Marigold Kitchen, Le Cheri, Helm, and a Fine Palate. Intimate BYOBs are Radicchio Café, La Locanda Del Ghiottone, and Modo Mio. For a romantic nightcap, visit The Library Bar inside the Rittenhouse Hotel.
Philly PR Girl: What were some of the greatest challenges that you faced in The Walnut Club’s first six months of operation? What was the greatest moment?
Marla McDermott: I have grown more in the first 6 months of creating The Walnut Club than I have over the past 6 years. The biggest challenge is that I am learning to be a leader of an organization (comprised of very smart, no-nonsense women) at the same time as I’m building it. The club’s value proposition is that we help our members grow into their highest potential, whatever that means to them.
As my co-founders and I have been working hard at building a community and delivering value, we’re growing as individual women and as a group. Naturally, we have growing pains and have an almost overwhelming amount of things to put in place. But the fact that I have a strong Board of Directors that has my back, combined with support I get at home, makes me confident we will continue to be successful at making a massive positive impact for women in PHL and beyond. I’m very grateful for a board and members that have patience with me and believe in me and my big visions. Without their support and dedication the club simply would not exist.
I think the greatest moment occurred for us all at our Founders’ Bash last week. We celebrated the over 100 founding members who helped make the club a reality. Our board, especially Natanya DiBona, worked very hard at making it a special event for our members. Watching it all come together and seeing everyone have such a great time making great connections was incredibly rewarding.
Philly PR Girl: What are the top five things you love most about Philadelphia?
Marla McDermott: The authentic and fiercely loyal people. I’m still best friends with the girls I grew up with and feel very lucky about that. Riding my bike along the Schuylkill River Trail. Our Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairmount Park in the spring. In the summertime, I love grabbing a Primo’s Hoagie or a Luke’s Lobster roll and having a picnic in the park. And our rich arts and culture, which is truly world-class. I’m especially loving the live jazz venues that have recently popped up.
Philly PR Girl: As a connector and community builder, what do you look for in the venues / programs / events that you recommend to members and online readers?
Marla McDermott: There are events and programs happening all over Philadelphia that are as diverse and interesting as the city itself. At The Walnut Club, the entire city is our playground and we seek out hidden gems and unique events to introduce our members to.
One example is that we’re partnering with a historic women’s club called New Century Trust for a program honoring Women’s History month, taking place on March 23rd. New Century has been around for over 150 years and is located in a beautiful building in the heart of the city, yet few have ever even heard of it. Outside of the club, I’m a fan of Author Events at the Free Library’s main branch, student concerts at the Curtis Center, and The Philadelphia Speaker Series at the Kimmel Center.
Last week, I took a tour at New Liberty Distillery in No Libs that I really enjoyed and now want to host an event there.
Philly PR Girl: Do you have any mentors – locally or nationally – who you look to for inspiration in business and/or in your personal life?
Marla McDermott: I look at every female doing something that impresses and inspires me as a mentor, regardless of her age or where she’s living. One of the greatest moments of my life was that I got to tell Gloria Steinem what an inspiration she’s been to me at the last Pennsylvania Women’s Conference. My personal hero is Malaya Yousafzai.
Finding a personal (female) mentor is something I have yearned for most of my adult life and struggled to find. Starting my own business was especially challenging and isolating. If I had a mentor by my side, it wouldn’t have been as scary and I probably would have gotten farther in a shorter amount of time.
A delightfully unexpected outcome of starting The Walnut Club is that I’m now surrounded by mentors. I am incredibly gratefully to now have badass women I can turn to for support and advice. The struggle to find a mentor is very real for most women and The Walnut Club wants to change that. It’s our intention to offer the city’s first structured Mentor Program for women of all ages. We are actively seeking sponsors, partners and mentors to allow us to make this happen.
Any interested parties out there, be sure to contact Marla! If you love all that she’s doing with I Heart PHL and The Walnut Club, be sure to show your support by connecting on social media and joining her email lists!
