Throw the Best Events You'll Ever Attend

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Andreia McLean, founder of Get Inviting Communications, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I named my business "Get Inviting" to emphasize the concept of brand magmatism as an imperative for digital and in-person experiences. Great leaders that move people are described universally as being charismatic or magnetic. When we apply those same characteristics to brand building, marketing, and events, that's how you generate authentic brand-loyal audiences!

My customers are entrepreneurs (or intrapreneurs!) who plan events, have been tasked with planning events, or have something to sell and want to host an event as part of their marketing process. Connecting with an audience is such a creative, collaborative, and community-based endeavor. There are so many places to get stuck, tripped up, or miss something. That's where I come in with logistical and creative proven processes. Together, we smooth out the wrinkles, build in contingency plans for all those difficult-to-predict elements of a live event, and set up all the details (tech, pricing, KPIs, etc.) so all you have to do is show up and share with a captive audience - online or in person.

Tell us about yourself

My parents swear I planned my own 4th birthday party… I've loved events and connecting people for as long as I can remember! I planned theme parties, birthdays, going away parties, friends' parents' anniversaries, happy Tuesday, you name it - I was commissioned to plan it – starting very young! I started interning in special events at a magazine at age 16, co-planned my first 700-person event at age 17, and signed my first venue contract for my party on my 18th birthday. Ending up in events was inevitable, but it wasn't until much later that I discovered the enormity of the professional world of events.

I graduated with a BA in Honors Psychology and with two minors - one in Communications and one in Philosophy. In hindsight, I probably would have studied Communications, but I like to think I learned a lot more about the why rather than the how by going the route I did. Working on events for my sorority was an education in itself - have you ever rallied 70 girls between the ages of 18 and 22 for a 48-hour event with constant programming? Logistics Bootcamp.

It was actually a friend in another sorority who pointed me in the direction of professional events when I graduated. She referred me to this incredible event design company that does many of Toronto's highest-profile events. Toronto Fashion Week, CAFA Awards, the MMVAs, everything from massive, multi-day events to incredibly intimate events with a no-photos policy because of the personnel in attendance. Having a fly-on-the-wall job, I got to witness the masters of my craft at work and the impact these events had on guests of all walks of life. I was enthralled. As I moved on eventually in my professional career, working on events big and "intimate" (we never say small), my psychology background necessitated that I recognize the patterns in human behavior, and I started to take notes. A lot of notes.

Starting my own business was the inevitable end goal, and Get Inviting Communications is my favorite concept, with such a detailed and large future scope in my mind that I hope to see through like a very long event!
People have never needed community and connection more than they do today. Connecting people with their people is my absolute favorite activity, and every day I get to work with people who desire to connect other people with the brands they have poured themselves into fills my cup. My clients are so creative, and I view every brand interaction they have as a collaboration that I get to play a part in. For the time we work together and beyond, we're a team in every sense, and I work my own magic to generate consistent opportunities for brand engagement, interaction, and success!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Just being a surviving business after four years is a pretty rare occurrence in the world of entrepreneurship, so coming up on five years this summer is pretty huge! There are so many cool events. During the past few years, when everyone was looking for digital event support, I really got a chance to showcase what I can do, which was a major silver lining. Working on the UNESCO MGIEP World Youth Conference on Kindness as part of the #KindnessMatters Global Campaign along with Faze Media was a phenomenal experience for so many reasons. Going international, taking clients who are based in Los Angeles and New York was a step I didn't anticipate but has been so cool!

My absolute proudest moment, though, came earlier on in my career. It was at the end of night two of a very intimate event at a luxury hotel in downtown Toronto. The event hosted less than ten guests, mostly in the media space. As the last two were leaving, I was getting ready to mini-celebrate (and then get out my take-down list) when I overheard, "wow - this is the first event I've been to in ages that felt like it was actually for us!" I nearly burst out of my own skin. The event that was supposed to have a 4-page spread ended up with a 14-page spread, so we got what we needed, and the guests felt the experience was designed for them. I can't tell you what that moment meant, and I wish I could live in it forever.

That's what event planners and marketing strategists should aim for every time, so to have the chance to organically overhear the exact reaction I was aiming for in the earlier days of my professional life was insane.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The pressure to succeed. It's such a double-edged sword too, because part of I think most entrepreneurs' driving force is competition - at the very least with yourself. A need to create, transform, connect, and grow. Building a business is such a precarious balance of hard and soft skills, but the one constant is that it's yours. When you win, you can feel that win, but when you have a setback, it can be crushing.

It's incredibly challenging to maintain perspective through time and not get caught up in the little moments that don't go as planned. Finding a community is key; a mentor can also be critical, but even if you don't have an official mentor or a structured community, finding or building your own group of "advisors" is imperative to any business owner's mental health, and I would argue business success also.

I've been fortunate to find intelligent, kind, and supportive communities and advisors throughout my life, and that's certainly something I don't take for granted. (Who do you think proofread this? Thanks, V!)

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Start. There are so many resources available to you. There isn't a magic moment where someone gives you permission or a potion that gives you the motivation to dive in - having and maintaining that inner drive is what will make you successful, so start now!
Drop the perfectionism. Ugh. This one is difficult for me, but it's necessary for growth. If you wait until you have all your ducks in a row, or until you feel ready for that next step, you'll spend your whole life waiting. The first time you tried to walk, you weren't that great at it - and look at you now! Launches, websites, workshops, sales calls - the same principle applies.
Ask for help. My absolute favorite thing about the world of entrepreneurship is the amount of altruistic support and guidance that is constantly being passed around. Each and every time I've reached out for help, the amount of support that came pouring in from the most unexpected places is overwhelming. We don't bite. Ask for help!

There are so many ways to be impactful in this world. I've seen that, especially with the Global Kindness Campaign, with the massive way digital events were revolutionized over the past few years, and with the desperate enthusiasm shown by global communities for the moments we were able to connect in person after long absences. Humanity is designed to connect, and when we connect over topics or activities that mutually matter to us, the result is enchantment. It's my deepest pleasure to help people incorporate events experiences into their marketing initiatives and connect people in the most authentic way with brands they love - even if they don't know they love them yet!

I'm looking forward to this coming year and offering more support and resources to clients and entrepreneurs. I have a new Digital Events Offering that's effectively a turnkey digital event guideline with a supporting consultant, so purpose-based entrepreneurs or individuals can show up digitally for an audience and focus on what they do and Get Inviting can take care of all the tech, promo materials, timeline, and event side of things. I think confidence and clarity are huge barriers for solo entrepreneurs succeeding with their digital events, so we're hoping to bridge that gap seamlessly!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://getinviting.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreiavanessaa/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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