For legions of fans of shows and made-for-TV movies on Lifetime, The Hallmark Channel and Netflix, an epic event debuts this month offering the ultimate escape into the worlds of romance and drama.
Gabrielle Graf Palmer (top) and Sara Lunsford
From July 30 through August 1 RomaDrama Live! brings TV stars to The Factory at Franklin outside Nashville Tennessee. Jesse Metcalfe, Trevor Donovan, Ryan Paevey, Wes Brown, Eric Mabius, Gregory Harrison, Brian Krause, Brittany Bristow, Teddy Sears, Rob Mayes, Drew Fuller, Paul Greene, Tyler Hynes, Shawlini Manjunath-Holbrook and more will meet fans in one-on-one meet and greets, take selfies and chat on celebrity panels. Plus, audiences will be able to learn about the process of creating and writing romantic dramas directly from the writers.
And this being Nashville, a slew of musical artists will perform including Cassadee Pope, Ty Herndon, Jamie O’Neal, Anthony Smith, Bri Fletcher, Minnie Murphy, Aliyah Good, The Kentucky Gentleman, Paulina Jayne, Lucas Hoge, Mary Sarah, Presley & Taylor, Exit 216, and DOZZI. All in all, it’s quite the shindig.
RomaDrama Live! is the brainchild of best friends and entrepreneurs. Gabrielle Graf Palmer, (an entertainment and sports sponsorship executive), and Sara Lunsford (the “spreadsheet queen and number cruncher” and an ace management consultant). This colossal event was birthed not only in the midst of the pandemic, but also at a time when Graf Palmer and Lunsford were experiencing devastating personal loses.
In 2020, Graf Palmer’s ten-year marriage came to a sudden and painful end. “Following our split, I was forced to move my children from their home three times within a few months,” she explains. Additionally, her father’s health was in decline. “In combination with Covid-19, my five and eight-year-old sons were left reeling,” shares Graf Palmer. “Everything in our lives was upside down and I struggled to push forward.”
Then, on the afternoon of December 31, 2020 Lunsford’s husband was killed in a car accident of which he was not at fault. “My world stopped,” shares Lunsford who is the mother of 13-year-old twins. “I felt like the rug had been yanked from under my feet and I was in a slow-motion free fall.”
As author Doe Zantamata wrote, “It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.” The two newly single mothers knew that despite it all, they had to push forward.
“Sara and I had to make the choice we knew would affect the course of our lives,” shares Graf Palmer. “We could either pack it up and sign off or marshal all of our remaining energy and create a future for ourselves and our children.”
If they continued on, they could fail. But they could also succeed. They pitched investor after investor, asking them to have faith in them. When the pandemic hit they lost opportunities. “Did we have the same confidence in ourselves that we’d asked of others?,” asks Graf Palmer. “We decided we had to move forward at any cost.”
So Graf Palmer and Lunsford took a massive leap of faith pooling all their available personal financial resources to create a new and independent path for themselves and their children. “We decided we would rather make the event go live, even with our own money on the line, than form long-term but unfruitful relationships,” says Graf Palmer. “We would rather wait and find the right strategic partnerships.”
Through their company BriteStar Events, LLC, the duo has more events planned. After RomaDrama Live!, the next one, from September 17-19, 2021 in Atlanta, centers around one specific Hallmark series with a very passionate fan following. More details will be announced soon. Then in January, 2022 they will take RomaDrama to Palm Beach, Florida. “I can’t spoil the surprise, but I can tell you we will have part of our show at The Breakers Hotel,” says Graf Palmer. “Imagine yourself in the middle of a movie set and let your imagination run wild!”
Graf Palmer and Lunsford, who met by chance 26 years ago at the airport in Atlanta when they happened to be dressed identically from head to toe, share a deep bond that has helped them pull through. “I had to lean on Gabrielle to keep the business going and she shouldered much more than her share of the responsibilities,” says Lunsford. “That's what true friendship is. I don't know what I would do without her.”
Their advice for other women is to believe in yourself, even when that feels hard. “Regardless of how many people tell you, “You’ll fail," or "You need to get a real job," stand your ground, have confidence in your strength, and do not lose sight of your dream,” insists Graf Palmer. “It’s terrifying and painful more than not. You will have sleepless nights, you will lose half a head of hair, and question your decision with every other breath, but keep going and do not take no for an answer.” Lunsford adds that if you have a dream to build your own business, you don’t need anyone else’s permission. “You have to go for it,” she says. “Be brave, even if it’s only for five minutes at a time.”
Both women say it is key to surround yourself by those who keep you emboldened. “My faith keeps me anchored, and my children keep me moving forward, even when I don’t feel like getting out of bed. I’m still a mess and will probably be for a while, but when my kids look back on this time in our lives, I want them to remember that I kept going,” says Lunsford who credits Graf Palmer and their team with keeping her motivated. “Also, success is so much sweeter when you share it. We’re working hard, but we’re also having so much fun.”
