Lori Lofton: The Socialite
Lori Lofton’s journey to become a Charlotte socialite began when in 2013, she relocated to the city from Birmingham, Alabama on a work venture. She is the founder of Prosocialite’s and the Charlotte Brunch Festival. Lori has made a name for herself in Charlotte despite being new to the city. She took her time and researched the area to see what her new home had to offer.. Lori believes heavily in networking, hitting the ground running by intentionally doing just that. Network with a purpose and sometimes it will require you to thrive on your own. Upon speaking with Lori Lofton, it felt like I was speaking to Wonder Woman. She is a beautiful soul who has her hands in many different roles. From corporate America, to daytime news contributor, foodie, and event curator, I truly wondered how she managed to stay sane. I posed the question to her on how she disconnects from it all. Lori stated that she created balance by limiting posting content to social media instead of making daily posts. Lori spoke on the importance of self care and taking that time to just be in the moment. She believes you cannot be afraid to take a break from social media.
Lori created the Charlotte Brunch Festival and watched it grow bigger and bigger each year. There is a whole lot of time and energy put into running a successful event. At one point, she saw her event reach close to a thousand attendees. Like many others, when the pandemic hit, it became harder to find venues that would cater to the crowd she was bringing, but she was still determined to continue. Exposure to restaurants in the city was extremely important, however the pandemic affected the participation due to labor shortages all over the country. Lori is always looking for volunteers to assist with carrying out her mission. I would encourage everyone new and old to Charlotte to connect with her. Lori also founded Gracefully 54:17 in 2018, which is a consulting agency. Her Charlotte Brunch Festival is a way she brings food vendors and restaurants together so that people can try samples from new and undiscovered places.
Lori’s advice for staying consistent is writing out a plan and encouraging people to simply start working towards their dreams. There is never a right time to do something. Sometimes you must stop waiting for the right time. You do not have to break the bank to have a good time. Create a budget and stick to it. Lori has truly enjoyed making connections with the residents of Charlotte in order to grow her business. If you are looking to connect and attend her events please visit one of her Instagram pages @LorriAshly @Charlottebrunchfestival
