NATALIE EPPERLY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT - EVENTS
The eleventh employee ever at what was then known as Jay Howard Events, Natalie Epperly currently serves as the Senior Vice President of our events division, overseeing a team that encompasses special events, corporate production, and virtual events.
With CSM Production’s roots in auto racing, a number of Epperly’s first major events were in NASCAR, including the “After The Lap” Tell-All at Champion’s Week in Las Vegas, which ran for several years, noting that each year, the company would “try to top last year’s event.” As CSM Production has continued to evolve, so have the company’s event capabilities, including a “personal highlight” for Epperly of producing elements for Super Bowl LIV in Miami.
A member of Sports Business Journal’s 10th Annual Game Changers class in 2022, Epperly joined the CSM Production team in 2005, after several years spent in fundraising and events with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She played college soccer for four years at Belmont-Abbey College in Belmont, N.C.
Natalie and her husband, Chris have one daughter, Hadley. They currently reside in nearby Matthews, N.C.
TEN QUESTIONS WITH NATALIE
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” I’m not sure who said it, but it’s something I’ve kept with me.
What’s one thing on your bucket list you’ve yet to accomplish?
This question is funny, because the answer is to start a bucket list. I don’t have one yet!
What’s the most rewarding thing about working at CSM Production?
Just being so early in the process, I think just looking at where we started and how far we’ve come and looking at some of the events and how far we’ve come - it’s rewarding to see how much we’ve grown in the process.
If you could have dinner with any three people from history, who would they be?
Three was tough. I picked Britney Spears [laughs] - she’d be really interesting to talk to - and my grandfather. He’s no longer with us, so I would go back and try to ask him a lot more questions than I did prior to his passing.
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever traveled?
Hawaii - we went there on our honeymoon and it was beautiful.
If you had to delete all but three apps on your phone, which would you keep?
I would keep texting, podcasts, and Google maps. I use that one a lot!
If you could learn one new skill, what would you learn?
Definitely to be a better cook, or just the basics of cooking. My husband does the majority of the cooking, but I can whip up some mean pancakes and waffles in the morning, though.
If you could see one movie again for the first time, what would it be?
Steel Magnolias.
What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
This was tough, because I read a lot of books. The most recent one was Where The Crawdads Sing. That was really good, and they’re making it into a movie!
What’s your favorite quote?
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”