Wesley Smoot has expanded his Unleashed empire to include his own vodka brand and a series of podcasts
STEVEN LINDSEY | Contributing writer
StevenCraigLindsey@GMail.com
Wesley Smoot doesn’t seem to be someone who ever thinks small. He noticed the lack of a live, in-person queer festival, so he created Unleashed LGBTQ+ Conference & Festival in 2023. From day one, he’s welcomed a superstar lineup of queer talent, from Billy Eichner to John Waters.
When he found it difficult to secure liquor sponsors in the changing political climate, he created his own vodka
And now, he’s branched into content creation, having launched three separate podcasts.
On Sept. 19, the fourth annual Unleashed LGBTQ+ Conference & Festival returns with another big name: TS Madison.
Best known as a transgender activist, recording artist, podcaster and all-around entertainer, she’ll record three episodes of her podcast live for a Dallas audience at Station 4.
Dallas Voice caught up with Unleashed LGBTQ+’s founder and marketing director to chat about the evolution of his festival, what’s new, what’s next and the biggest highlights so far.
Dallas Voice: You’ve had a lot of big-name celebrity guests. Is there a particular one that garnered a large audience that you think really solidified Unleashed as a must-attend community event? Wesley Smoot: Definitely John Waters. He has definitely been the largest pull to date. I was really excited to meet Billy Eichner; he’s such a talent. Having the presidents of The Trevor Project, Jaymes Black, and HRC, Kelley Robinson, was very humbling, as they do so much for our community.
What is your top moment from the past three years’ events? I gave a free pass to a young guy I met at one of the bars on The Strip. He was by himself and seemed a bit lost in his own head. Something was up. His energy felt off. I offered him a badge for the three days of events. The next day, I was happy to see him there. Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black had just concluded a talk with Steven Romo, a Dallas native, now in New York as an NBC correspondent. They were discussing The Trevor Project and, of course, suicide prevention. I know that can be a heavy topic. I was running around a bit working the event, but everything I took in was very impactful.
Later, I ran into this young man. He gave me a big hug and said, “Thank you.” He let me know that he really needed to hear the session about suicide, getting help and finding a way through. He then told me how his mom had just passed away, and he was having a difficult time finding a job. You could tell he was under a lot of pressure. Considering the topic of the last session, I immediately knew where his head was. At that moment, I realized the work we were doing was actually making a difference. I hope we can continue in that mission.
What have you learned from the first three events, and has your vision of the conference/festival evolved? Honestly, I wish more people would take advantage of our educational sessions. We’ve created events featuring speakers who cover everything from raising capital for a startup to best practices for nonprofits. We’ve even hosted former Fortune 500 executives and renowned authors, but those sessions have often had lower attendance.
We’re hoping that partnering with more nonprofit organizations and educational institutions will help build awareness and increase attendance. There’s so much more to our community, and I hope people take advantage of these opportunities. Moving forward, nearly all of our sessions will also be recorded as podcasts, so if people can’t attend in person, they can still listen on all major streaming platforms.
So, how will TS Madison fill up three hours at S4? TS Madison will be recording her hit podcast, Outlaws, live on the S4 dance floor, featuring three separate interviews that are hilarious, informative and each connected to Texas in some way.
Do you have any other special guests for this year that you can announce yet? It’s funny — I’ve brought them up twice now, but Jaymes Black will be returning. TS Madison is actually a huge fan of Jaymes and their work and has always wanted to interview them. We also have two more exciting announcements to share leading up to the event.
You’ve expanded the Unleashed brand to include vodka and now content creation, including a podcast. Tell me a little bit about both of those and do you have any other ventures that you’d like to add to your portfolio? After the 2016 election, the political climate really changed, and it began to affect the corporate world. We found it increasingly difficult to secure liquor sponsors, so I said, “Screw it; we’ll make our own.” Through this endeavor, we’re able to give 5 percent of our net profits to LGBTQ+ organizations. Our vodka is LGBTQ+-owned and -operated, made in Texas, gluten-free, distilled six times and incredibly smooth — all at a very competitive price.
Our podcasts give a voice to some truly remarkable LGBTQ+ professionals. We’ll have three separate shows under the Unleashed Media umbrella: Unleashed LGBTQ+, What’s the Texas Tea? and our newest show, Coffins and Cocktails.
Coffins and Cocktails is hosted by Todd Interiano-Shifflett, a funeral director and licensed embalmer with 20 years of experience. He sits down with fabulous guests — including Elliott with 2 Ts from Season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race — to discuss all things death-related in an honest and entertaining way. It’s available on all major streaming platforms, including iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.
When will tickets go on sale and what is the pricing structure? Tickets are on sale now. There is a VIP option with Unleashed drink tickets and a TS Madison meet-and-greet. There is also general admission seating. We are giving tickets to journalists, bloggers, influencers who are interested in helping promote as well as volunteers. We have also given complimentary passes to our favorite non-profit organizations.
Unleashed LGBTQ+ Conference & Festival takes place Sept. 19, at 6 p.m. at Station 4 (S4), 3911 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas. Tickets are $108.90 for general admission and $322.92 for VIP. For special guest updates and the latest information, visit UnleashedLGBTQ.com.