Stacy Cook

CEO of Vero Beach Marketing and Community Manager of Vero Vine, Stacy Cook.

You ever wonder who the mastermind behind Vero Vine is? The man who is spotted here, there, and everywhere in the Vero Beach area? Who IS he? What’s his story? 

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That man, Vero folks, is none other than Stacy Cook. By popular demand, here’s a glimpse of why he is considered (humbly) a “cool personality,” and how networking and Vero Vine and Vero Beach Foodie have become self-taught successes of his. Not only is he the Community Manager of Vero Vine and Vero Beach Foodie, he is also the CEO of Vero Beach Marketing, and part-owner of TC Savor. 

Cook’s marketing powers are impressive, to say the least. He has over 25 years of digital media experience. If you think about how long digital marketing has been in existence, you’ll realize how unique that career history is. Most of it, he admits, is self-taught. His drive to succeed and build successful ventures goes back to his teenage years. 

Stacy and his two oldest children, Aden, 9, and Ava, 11 at American Icon Brewery for the release of an international pinup magazine created by Vero Beach’s own Tamara Darress.

“I was building my own businesses as a 15-year-old,” Cook said. “I started mowing lawns, caring for horses, shoveling snow in the winter, and then started a graphic design company when I was 17, In:House:Design, offering in house graphic design to businesses who could not afford a full-time designer.”

Those endeavors led him to his job with NCAA, Host Communications, and Broadcast.com at the age of 19 in Lexington, KY. From there he went on to manage the largest high school internet portal (iHigh.com), also in Lexington, and following a 10-year stent as owner and manager of Edit-X, a software content management and commerce company in Denver, CO. He has managed marketing for the largest privately held online dating company worldwide, and developed InTheRooms.com,  the largest social media network for addicts in recovery. He has managed over $30M in digital advertising spending. 

As he gained experience, he gained confidence and his expertise led him to where he is at today here in Vero Beach.  He backs his brands with, and fully believes in the power of positivity. 

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I present and introduce curated, positive information about events, food, people, and businesses,” Cook explained. “My main goal is to promote commerce in Indian River County and do it in a positive, encouraging, and uplifting way.”

A father of three – Ava, 11, Aden, 9, and Myla, 5 – Cook stays busy between parenthood and networking. His kids get to be a part of his professional life through certain family-oriented events and get to see their Dad at “work” just as he watched his grandmother at “work” when he was a child. 

“I learned entrepreneurial prowess at a very early age,” Cook said. His grandmother, Kathleen Hart Stacy, taught him to cook and ran her own business in Kentucky. Cook worked for her at a young age, inspired by her passion for turning doing something she loves doing into a way to earn an income. 

As Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” That premise is one that Stacy practices in all that he does. The Vero Beach community is ever-changing, as are the businesses, opportunities, food options, and events. 

“I am never bored,” Cook explained. “I can connect with so many people every day. I help a lot of people. It is exactly what I love to do.”

And that he does – and well. Many Vero Beach businesses and personalities have come to know Stacy because of his presence in the community, at Vero Beach Foodie events, marketing events, and so much more. If he finds a service or a product he loves, he is sure to mention his satisfaction publicly.  

While his presence in the networking community is an important part of promoting his businesses, he also spends a lot of time at home, both in his backyard with his kids or in the kitchen, cooking for friends and neighbors. His hobbies: Archery, snowboarding, and – you guessed it – cooking. 

“Food is a big deal in our lives,” Cook pointed out.  “Everything revolves around food.”

“Someone has to live in paradise and it might as well be me.”

– Stacy cook

Another favorite spot for Cook and his kids is the beach, where they frequent on weekends. As so many other residents in Vero Beach can relate, the waves, sand, and ocean are a sort of paradise. 

“It really is true paradise,” Cook said. “We have the best people; it is a kind community. The small-town beach vibe is perfect for my style of living. It reminds me of Lexington, only it’s on the beach. It feels like home.”

Stacy is proud, rightly so, of his professional successes and goals, however as a father, his goal is ongoing: To raise the best children he possibly can, and for them to be smart, positive, successful, kind, and contribute to society and their local communities.     

“With Vero Vine and Vero Beach Foodie, I wanted to build something 100% real and organic and to be a pillar in my local community,” Stacy explained. He sets an example for his kids with the work and dedication he demonstrates. Cook hopes it is something they will take over for themselves one day.

Stacy Cook can be reached at (772) 233-6869 or by email at stacy@verovine.com. 

Jennifer Stockdale
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