FMBGN-BIZ-Nervous Nellies-Turning Waterfront Views to Unforgettable Events

A great Fort Myers Beach event doesn’t start with a spreadsheet, it starts with a place that makes people feel instantly on vacation. We’re recording at Nervous Nellies with Valerie, the event coordinator who helps turn waterfront views, great service, and a fun crowd into weddings, birthday parties, reunions, and everything in between. If you’ve been searching for a Fort Myers Beach wedding venue or a private event space that can flex from casual to elevated, Valerie lays out what actually matters when you want guests to relax and have a good time.

We talk about the kinds of events Nervous Nellies hosts most often, why weddings and rehearsal gatherings keep coming back, and how the venue supports groups with multiple spaces across two floors, including indoor and outdoor options, patios, nooks, and full liquor bars. Valerie also shares what’s coming up for local Fort Myers Beach events like Cinco de Mayo, including an outside bar and margarita specials. It’s the kind of behind-the-scenes perspective that helps you picture your own celebration, whether you’re planning a small 10-person moment or a bigger party that needs room to move.

You’ll also get to know Valerie beyond the job title: a native Floridian who moved west, helped on her family farm, and has spent real time supporting dog rescue efforts. That mix of hospitality, community pride, and hands-on coordination is exactly what you want when you’re trusting someone with a big day.

Subscribe for more Fort Myers Beach local business spotlights, share this with a friend who’s planning a party, and leave a review to help more neighbors find the show.

Nervous Nellie's
1131 First St, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 
(239) 999-8077
nervousnelliesfmb@gmail.com
nervousnellies.net
#NervousNelliesFMB 
#LiveMusic
#WaterfrontDining
#HappyHour
@NervousNelliesFMB

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Transcript

Welcome To The Good Neighbors

Intro/Close 0:00

Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor Podcast. No shade, just sunshine, drama-free, positive vibes only. Each episode we bring you closer to the neighbors, local legends, and businesses that support the local community and make Fort Myers Beach this place of paradise we all love. We want to send out some island love, State Insurance USA, Snug Harbor, Nervous Nellies, and the Alex King Group. They're the good neighbors and businesses that allow us to share the soul of our community with every listener. Well up in each chair, grab a drink, and let's get the people to make this island feel at home. Here's your host, Cabo Jim Schaller.

"Cabo" Jim 0:32

Welcome Fort Minor's Beach Good Neighbors. Today we're at Nervous Nellies with Valerie, the event coordinator here. And you guys do a lot of events here, I hear, right?

Valerie 0:42

We do so many different events here. We have weddings here, we've had high school reunions here, we've actually had a wedding here. Um, we actually got married here. We have all kinds of things we do here.

"Cabo" Jim 0:53

Married here?

Valerie 0:54

Yes, yes, and I actually perform weddings. I actually performed it right on our dock, so it was a good time.

"Cabo" Jim 1:00

And with a great view, you can't miss up the view. Sorry you guys can't see it. Just get the fish behind you right now.

Valerie 1:04

You just have to come see us down here so you can check out the view.

Signature Events And Cinco De Mayo

"Cabo" Jim 1:07

It's a beautiful view. You've got the bay, you've got all the boats going by, and the pirate ship every once in a while and all that good stuff. Yeah. So what type of events do you typically host here?

Valerie 1:16

Um, like I said, we've done all kinds. I've done birthday parties, the weddings, um, high school reunions. Um, I would like to do a keen saying that'd be kind of cool. That's what I haven't done yet. And like we also do all the um everyday kind of events, like from we do like the anything that's happening on the beach, we always participate in. Like we're we have the bar crawls, we do the um there's one that's coming up with Four Mars Beach with thing. We do the the packet and get the little shoe clippy thing at the time.

"Cabo" Jim 1:44

We're gonna be doing that one.

Valerie 1:45

So anything that you guys can do, any budget we can do, we'll make it happen.

"Cabo" Jim 1:50

You guys think of the mayo coming up too, right?

Valerie 1:52

We have single day mayo coming up. Um, we're looking forward to that. They're gonna have um Jacob Lowers gonna be here. Um, we'll have our outside bar, we're gonna do a margarita special. So that's gonna be a good time.

From Bartender To Event Lead

"Cabo" Jim 2:01

It'll be fun. We who doesn't like tequila? Who doesn't like a margarita tacos? Definitely I'm with you. So let's talk about you a little bit. How did you get involved in all this?

Valerie 2:11

I've actually been here um almost 10 years. Um, I was before the hurricane. I started out as a bartend uh server, then bartender, and then somehow it just kind of fell on my lap that hey, guess what you can get to do next. So and I've really enjoyed it. I mean, I like when, like I said, I told the brides to come in. I'm like, you know, if you want to do something bougie, we can do it. But for the most part, if you want to have like a good time, yeah, good service, good food, this is the place to be.

"Cabo" Jim 2:35

Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. So are you from here originally?

Valerie 2:39

I'm actually from for I'm a native Floridian like a unicorn, you know. Yeah, no, I'm here, I'm still here, but I'm actually originally from Fort Large. So I went from East Coast to the West Coast.

"Cabo" Jim 2:48

All right, the better coast. The better coast, definitely. So, what brought you over here?

Valerie 2:53

Um, I actually came over here to help. Uh my father has a farm on Pine Island. So I actually came over to help him on the farm. So I'm a farm girl, event coordinator, front house manager, so I got a lot of hats I wear. Yeah, what don't you do? I don't know.

"Cabo" Jim 3:07

Don't get anything out of the when I know you spend a lot of time here, but when you do get a moment of free time, what do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Valerie 3:15

Um, usually uh on our farm. Um, we have the kids, and you know, I actually one time I was a foster mom for um I do dog rescues. I used to not not a lot of time left a lot. Yeah, I used to do the the I used to drive from like either from from Naples to Fort Myers or Four Myers to you know Santa Soda did like dog rescuing then. So yeah, I think I love it to do.

"Cabo" Jim 3:37

That keeps you busy.

Valerie 3:38

That keeps me busy.

"Cabo" Jim 3:39

Well, this keeps you busy though, too.

Spaces Upstairs Downstairs And Dockside

Valerie 3:41

Yeah, definitely keeps me busy.

"Cabo" Jim 3:42

So if somebody were interested in looking into an event, well, let's talk about your spaces first.

Valerie 3:48

We have several spaces. Um, we have you can do like a dining room, you have our patio, we have several spaces. I mean, you want to be indoors, outdoors, semi-private, private.

"Cabo" Jim 3:59

We can do just about anything a lot of different little rooms and nooks over here.

Valerie 4:02

Oh, definitely. Yeah, and we also like we have the two stories. So we have the upstairs, downstairs. I have a full liquor bar, which is a good thing on each floor, a bathroom on every floor. So, I mean, if you want to be upstairs, we do upstairs, downstairs, outside, wherever you guys want to be, we can do it for you.

"Cabo" Jim 4:17

What's your most popular event?

Valerie 4:19

I mostly the weddings. Really? A lot of weddings. We've done a lot of wedding rehearsals. We've done rehearsal dinners. Um, we've done bachelorettes. Um, we've done like we've done them all.

"Cabo" Jim 4:29

Love it, love it. This is kind of the place to be, right?

Valerie 4:32

This is definitely a place. I mean, it's a good space. Um, it's very casual. Like, you know, it's not you can just have a good time here. Exactly. I mean, we've had several Christmas parties I've done. Yeah, I've done um a couple business meetings. We do have the form hour speech month a month here. So if you want to do like a business meeting, a business luncheon, we can do that too.

"Cabo" Jim 4:51

Nice, nice. Anything you want?

Valerie 4:53

We can do it for you. We can do it. Come on down.

"Cabo" Jim 4:56

The food is great, the drinks are great. Yes, and the event coordinator is great, right? I appreciate that.

Booking Details And How To Connect

Valerie 5:01

I try really hard, but yeah, like we could do anything, you know. Like, we just like to have people have a good time, you know. Even if it's a 10-person wedding or like a 10-person birthday party, I just it's your day. You gotta make it a special time.

"Cabo" Jim 5:12

I get it, I get it. So, how would people go about contacting you if you're gonna do that?

Valerie 5:16

You can either call me at any time at 239-999-8077, or you can email us at nervous analysis fmb at gmail.

"Cabo" Jim 5:24

Perfect, perfect. Come on down, have your event here, come and visit one of the events that are going on this year. Oh, yeah, we got all these things going on.

Valerie 5:32

We do post all that stuff on our we do have the Facebook page. Um, everything's always on there, you know, everything that we're gonna do later.

"Cabo" Jim 5:37

You guys do a great job of the social media, so yeah, yeah, keep it up and the food and the drinks.

Valerie 5:42

Definitely come on in.

"Cabo" Jim 5:43

Valerie, it's been a pleasure.

Valerie 5:45

Thank you for giving me time.

"Cabo" Jim 5:46

Thank you for being such a good neighbor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we'll stay down here for a margarita soon.

Intro/Close 5:50

Definitely, margarita's.

Share The Show And Nominate

"Cabo" Jim 5:51

All right, thank you.

Intro/Close 5:52

Thank you. Thanks for tuning in to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor podcast. No shade, just sunshine, drama-free, positive vibes only. If you loved what you heard, share it with a friend and keep the good vibes going. Until next time, remember to cabo until you wobbo and keep being a good neighbor. Also, to nominate your favorite neighbors, local legends, heroes, or local businesses to be on the show. Go to fmbgoodneighbor.com. That's fmbgoodneighbor.com or call 239-427-4100. We want to send out some island love, State Insurance USA, Snug Harbor, Nervous Nellies, and the Alex King Group. They're the good neighbors and businesses that allow us to share the soul of our community with every listener. Here's just celebrating all that makes Fort Myers Beach, lights of paradise we all love.