Production of a Season: A Q&A With Amber Maloney, Director of Marketing, Wish Farms

I liken the passing of growing seasons to that of a long-standing and much-loved TV show, à la Dr. Who, to be specific.

It takes a team of workers, both behind the scenes and in the field, to make a production run. The planning stages aren’t any different, as the projection for success comes down to the right timing, the right hands on deck, and the right Director to help the story come through.

There is an electrifying feeling while in the thick of the growing season, and when it has all wrapped, there are many in our industry that can’t wait for the next cycle to begin. They’re anticipating a fresh start, for they all know that no two seasons are the same. Amber Maloney, Wish Farms’ Director of Marketing, is one such person, both behind the scenes looking forward to the next season and in the spotlight since she stepped in as a recurring lead in 2011.

As the grower hits its 100^th year, Amber enters her 11^th season, reprising her role with her Director cap on and a soul ready to embrace another major part she was destined to play.

Lilian Diep: Amber, seeing you here now, it feels like you were made for marketing. Can you tell me how you first got into the field? What kick-started this career path for you?

Amber Maloney, Director of Marketing: My family and I moved to Plant City, Florida, when I was young. I grew up here and after high school went to college at the University of Florida. I majored in advertising and minored in marketing.

The sports and marketing departments for the Gators work closely together, so I got a lot of great experience during my time there. I was on the UF dance team for three years. While I was getting my Masters in Business Management, I coached the team for an additional three years. As a coach working for the University Athletic Association, I was able to develop my advertising and marketing side, focusing on fundraising, volunteer work, and promotions. I even got to manage the Gator mascots, Albert and Alberta! It was an amazing time, and I was very fortunate to have the opportunity.

LD: It sounds like this position was the role meant for you to pursue. I know dancing is still a passion for you, so how did fresh produce enter the scene? What influenced you to get into the industry?

AM: After college, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to work in telecommunications as a cold caller. It was a hard job, but I learned so much from my time in this role. To be able to confidently walk into a random business and ask to talk to the Owner helped me develop the self-structure and motivation necessary to be successful in business. Although it was a grind, it was a very valuable experience.

My most successful territory, coincidentally, was the Atlanta Farmers Market. The fast-paced maneuverability and passion those people had for what they do really resonated. It was a very exciting environment, and it opened my eyes to an industry I had never considered before.

After a couple of years in Atlanta, I moved back to Plant City and got a tip from my best friend’s father Chuck Hollenkamp, a longtime employee of Wish Farms, that they were searching for someone to build its marketing department from the ground up.

“Gary [Wishnatzki] allowed me to learn and explore my own ideas, to be able to bring things to the table. Not all bosses are like that.”

Amber Maloney, Director of Marketing, Wish Farms

LD: I guess we could say it was written from the start that you would be with Wish Farms, couldn’t we?

AM: It really was! It didn’t click with me at first, but as soon as I sat down with Gary Wishnatzki, the Owner and Chief Executive Officer, I realized I had met him before!

In my senior year of high school, 2002, Wishnatzki Farms—our name before we rebranded—sponsored me in my bid for Plant City’s Strawberry Queen.

So, there we were, nine years later, and I’m hoping to land a job with his company. My only experience in the ag industry was setting up the Atlanta Farmers Market with a better telecommunication system, but I suppose Gary saw some potential in me, and I started the next week. We came full circle, and I’m so thankful.

LD: Seeing as you entered the ag industry, if I may say, a bit green, it seems there would have been a lot of challenges to navigate, especially since the marketing department was just starting. But hearing you talk about it, would you venture to say there were more positives than negatives when it comes to this position?

AM: Absolutely! Every season is a new experience. Gary is a true visionary with a marketing mind; his title CEO and Head Pixie says it all. He took me under his wing, and I’ve learned a lot from him over the years. Gary allowed me to learn and explore my own ideas, to be able to bring things to the table. Not all bosses are like that.

And it’s so inspiring.

Every season brings something different. It is always a new project, a new goal to tackle. Don’t get me wrong, there have been a few losses, but just like the amazing farmers we work with, we navigate through and find solutions. The marketing department started with me, and over the years, we’ve been building the team. We’re small, but we’re nimble and creative.

In the last four years, Wish Farms has refocused. Gary’s goal is to become an international brand. That’s a big goal, and his vision keeps all of us excited to come to work!

“Every season brings something different. It is always a new project, a new goal to tackle.”

LD: Now that you’ve completed 10 seasons and have started your 11^th, I want to know what has made this role as Director of Marketing worthwhile? What has made you go, “Wow, I really love my job?”

AM: Oh, there are so many! Every day has a charge in it because of where we’re headed as a company. But there are definitely some big “Wow!” moments.

Last year, we had the grand opening of our Plant City headquarters, and we held our first PixieRock! fundraiser and concert in April 2021. It was a big “Thank You” to everyone for their support and an opportunity for Gary and his team to introduce our new headquarters.

We put together a full-blown music festival with major headlining bands. That night, we raised over $400,000 for the event beneficiaries and the Wish Farms Family Foundation. It was a fantastic night and an incredibly rewarding moment in my career.

We’re going even bigger this year because it is Wish’s 100^th anniversary!

Marketing is a role that’s been given to her from the start, but Amber has made it all her own. Wish Farms is continuing to recast Amber in this recurring spot to wow her audience—one that becomes even more critical with each passing season. And while she sits with her Director’s cap tilted to the side, overseeing the marketing for this powerful brand, I can’t help but wonder what this next season will be like as she helps the company grow beyond the script, bringing stories on the page to life for the world to see.