Living the Margaritaville state of mind in the Gator Nation

“Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see. Moderation seems to be the key.” – Jimmy Buffett, Barometer Soup

According to Warrington alumna Kristina Genovese (BSBA ’17), this lyric is the key to living in the Margaritaville state of mind while accomplishing your goals.

With a Gator chomp and Fins Up, Genovese embarked on her voyage with Margaritaville as one of their first brand ambassadors in 2016. She was among the first students to receive merchandise, sponsor events and host giveaways on the University of Florida campus. Her experience as a brand ambassador for other companies allowed her to bring an outside perspective and new ideas into the program. 

“My favorite Margaritaville memory when I was at UF is when the brand wanted to create the promotional video for the college ambassador program and asked if they could come down to Gainesville and shoot it on campus with me and my friends,” Genovese said. “I was a part of the Wakeboard club team and they came to our big event to shoot me and my friends having a good time, living the Margaritaville state of mind.” 

She received the first recognition as Margaritaville’s top collegiate promoter and was offered a full-time position as Marketing Coordinator post graduation. For the past eight years, Genovese has worked for Margaritaville and is currently their Senior Marketing Manager. 

Throughout her time at Margaritaville, her roles have primarily focused on supporting the brand marketing team and spearheading the college ambassador program, which is now known as Margaritaville University. 

“The growth and success of the Margaritaville University program has been one of my biggest successes,” Genovese said. “We went from a Facebook group to over 1,000 ambassadors on over 400 campuses throughout the past nine years. It has come a long way and we are really proud of what it is now.” 

Genovese has overseen the development of an apparel line, logo, website, social media pages, ambassador portal and a job board that connects ambassadors and alumni to jobs from their licensed partners. She currently manages 210 ambassadors at almost 140 campuses and began the Campus Brand Manager program who act as senior ambassadors and mentors of Margaritaville University. 

Next month, Genovese is preparing to send the top eight collegiate ambassadors to the Margaritaville Hotel in Nashville for the Ambassador Roundtable. This experience provides the opportunity for the students to collaborate with and further improve Margaritaville University. Beyond professional development, this trip also rewards the students for their successes as ambassadors.

Riding the wave of serving college students, Genovese had the privilege to venture once more to the UF campus for a new course “(Un)Common Arts: Son of a Son of a Sailor” in the fall semester of 2024. Developed by professor Melisaa Johnson, this course dove into Buffett’s music catalog and all things Margaritaville. 

“It was like my two worlds colliding, Margaritaville and the Gators,” Genovese said. “The class was really awesome and although I’ve heard so many stories about the brand and Jimmy himself, hearing it again from our CEO, you learn something new every time. It’s an honor and a pleasure to be a part of those opportunities when they come up.” 

Genovese attributes her preparation for her marketing positions to the people and experiences she had with the Gator Nation and Warrington. Her involvement within UF, notably through handling the marketing, social media and sponsorships for the wakeboard club team, spoke to the Margaritaville lifestyle and gave her a directly relevant experience to her current role. 

“The Warrington College of Business prepared me for my career with a curriculum of courses focused on both in and out-of-the-classroom learning,” Genovese said, “Throughout several courses, we were working alongside local businesses and current events to learn, develop and implement marketing strategies instilling professional experience that could not have been taught from a textbook.”

With various personal and professional success, Genovese would like to thank her parents. 

“They always emphasize the importance of education and that is what led me to going to UF and continue to support me as I moved to Florida and Texas. They have always been my rock.”

“Work hard and play hard” is Genovese’s advice to living the Margaritaville state of mind in the Gator Nation. “Have a perspective on the things that matter most in your life, focus on things that are within your control and always remember to breathe in, breathe out and move on. Go Gators!”