Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Channing Moreland and Makenzie Stokel, Founders of EVA, located in Nashville, TN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
EVA is an entertainment technology company that automates booking entertainment for corporate and private events. EVA is a marketplace, so our customers are corporate event planners and entertainers.
Tell us about yourself
We started our business originally in college because we saw entertainers in our community struggling to be discovered and receive paid performance opportunities. We were passionate about curating live events with great live music, so we started building technology to assist with the inefficiencies on both sides of the booking process. What motivates us is seeing entertainers get paid, our technology becoming the solution, and the energy our team brings to EVA every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As a live events focused company, when the pandemic hit, it decimated our business and revenue pipeline. Figuring out how to rebuild and guide our team through that experience was a great accomplishment for us. We not only grew revenue-wise throughout the pandemic when it felt like all the cards were stacked against us, but we are now better off as a company for the changes we made during that time.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Managing burnout and not becoming isolated. It can be a very lonely journey while you are building your business, and it’s important to have a support system and community around you. Burnout is inevitable, so it’s all about paying attention to the signs and making healthy changes to keep your mind at ease and your energy strong.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start now. Even if you don’t think you are ready, making a move to start is the only way you’ll have your business.
- Seek out mentors and advisors that you resonate with and push you. We wouldn’t be anywhere without the varying mentorship we have received along the way.
- Set individual vs. company-wide goals for you and your team, and stick to them. Review and reflect on where you fell short, so you can determine what changes you need to make to hit them. Nothing good comes from keeping our heads in the sand on our business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.bookwitheva.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookwitheva
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bookwitheva/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bookwitheva/
https://www.instagram.com/channingmoreland/
https://www.instagram.com/kenzstokel/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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