Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Zrallack.
Hi Brandi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Central Florida, Seminole County, to be exact, and I’ve lived here since the age of 2. For nearly five decades, I have watched Central Florida develop and change. I graduated from Oviedo High School in 1992, got married in 1994, graduated from UCF in 1995 (with a Degree in Elementary Education), and became a mom for the first time in 2002 and again in 2010. I’ve been a kid in Central Florida, a daughter, and now a mother. I’ve always struggled to know about events and opportunities (outside theme parks) to enjoy living in Orlando. I woke up one day in 2014 and thought about creating an event and a website to make it easier for parents like me to find things to do and opportunities to better my family in our backyard. The Florida Kids and Family Expo and MyCentralFloridaFamily.com have been thriving since 2014. This year will be our 9th annual expo, and it is truly a family affair that will be produced with the help of my mother, husband, and children. Other Central Florida moms pitch in and help out, too!
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a pretty smooth ride. My education was smooth, and I graduated from college in 3.5 years. I married my high school sweetheart, and we will celebrate 30 years of marriage in July. My kids are healthy and happy. The oldest now holds two master’s degrees from UCF in business and sports business management at age 21. My younger son is thriving in SCPS today. My parents are still with us, too. I’ve run two successful businesses. The first was a wedding business I sold in 2007 because we were ready to move on, but not before we were the only wedding planners (in 2007) that we The Best of The Knot Weddings! I was a teacher for seven years and worked in wedding magazines and wedding shows for Perfect Wedding Guide for seven years, being promoted to Director of Corporate Markets and traveling extensively, producing wedding shows, and managing sales teams. I have always been very good at what I do. The biggest struggle I’ve probably been through was being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37, just 18 months after having my second son. 2012 was a pretty tough year, with surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation running my world. I left Perfect Wedding Guide in 2012 to be home more and to find a better work/life balance.
As you know, we’re big fans of Epic Expos, Inc. For our readers who might need to become more familiar with the brand, what can you tell them about it?
I started Epic Expos, Inc. in 2014 when I realized a need needed to be filled. Parents like me needed a vital resource for kids, family events, and opportunities. We started MyCentralFloridaFamily.com, and our traffic and popularity continue to rise as word spreads. We also started planning the First Annual Florida Kids and Family Expo immediately. On August 29-30, 2015, we produced the first expo, a hit from day one. We’ve been making this event yearly in August (except in 2020 due to COVID-19 and in November 2021, again due to COVID-19). Each year, we have had over 150-200 exhibitors, except for 2021, approximately an average of 15,000 attendees. We love connecting families and kids with schools, businesses, sports, and more.
We work daily to create a 24/7/365 calendar of events, so if you’re looking for fun family events on any given day, you can find ideas at MyCentralFloridaFamily.com. Are you looking for ideas of how to celebrate Easter, want family fun for the holidays, or are you looking for summer camps? We have all of that, too, in our Family Guides, which are produced seasonally. We also share the news relevant to kids and families from all over Central Florida. Finally, our Resource Directory has resources (businesses, schools, etc.). We work every day to put events, news, information, resources, and more into one place to make the efforts of parents and caregivers easier. With the Florida Kids and Family Expo in 2023, we saw over 200 exhibitors, over ten fun zones, and live entertainment throughout the weekend, including stage shows, air shows, and a wrestling ring. We have a Touch a Truck, animal interactions like a petting zoo, pony rides, camel rides, and more. This interactive expo creates a day of discovery with a lot of fun for kids and parents alike! Tickets are $10 each in advance for this epic expo.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Not really. We use Google, Facebook, and press releases to find events and opportunities for families.
Pricing:
- Our website is free for users
- The expo is $10 in advance and $15 at the door
Contact Info:
- Website: https://MyCentralFloridaFamily.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/MyCentralFloridaFamily
- Facebook: Facebook.com/MyCentralFloridaFamily
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCprnLMTv42Y8oTwMZszo7nA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mycentralfloridafamily
Image Credits
Crickets Photography
