Twenty years ago, Joey Reader was organizing employee appreciation events from inside a corporate HR office. Today, she is the president and founder of A-mazing Events, a full-service event management company in Kimberly, WI, specializing in corporate and nonprofit gatherings.
Joey’s background in human resources gave her first-hand experience in planning everything from holiday parties to training events. But in 2004, after a conversation with her husband at the kitchen table, Joey decided to dig deeper into event planning and entrepreneurship. Her research uncovered an interesting gap: while wedding planners were common in the Fox Cities, corporate event management was not.
“It was a huge industry, but not here,” Joey recalls. “There was a market, but it just hadn’t been tapped.”
In 2005, Joey enrolled in Fox Valley Technical College’s E-Seed Express™ program. It’s a nine-week course that gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to launch a business. Joey recalls having to develop a comprehensive business plan as part of the class. She keeps it in her office.
The E-Seed Express™ class makes you think about every piece of the business, whether it’s marketing and sales or the financial and operational side.
—Joey Reader
“Way back, I thought maybe the business was going to be geared toward social events,” Joey recounts. “Now, we don’t do any social events. We’re 70% corporate and 30% nonprofit.”
When Joey reflects on her E-Seed Express™ class, she says it offered something more valuable than a curriculum; it also created connections. Joey’s first client was a fellow classmate, and guest speakers created a network that helped her build her business. The company’s services have evolved dramatically.
“We’re writing scripts, run-of-show for anything production related,” she explains. “We didn’t always have a graphic designer and had to outsource that. But we now have a full-time designer for our events.”
Just like many small business owners, the COVID-19 pandemic tested Joey’s resilience as a business owner.
“I’ll never forget when my employees were working from home, but I came in every single day,” Joey recounts. “I get choked up just thinking about it, but I remember leaving the office one day and thinking, ‘I am not going to lose everything I have put into this business because of the pandemic.’”
Her determination paid off. In the past five years, A-mazing Events has grown from six employees to 17.
Joey’s advice to those considering entrepreneurship is simple: surround yourself with good people and embrace discomfort.
“I always share with my team that there are going to be times that we’re uncomfortable, and we’re going to be stretched thin,” she explains. “But those are the times that we learn the most and do some neat things.”
Joey remains connected to FVTC, serving on advisory committees and collaborating on events. She credits the E-Seed Express™ program not only with launching her business but with helping her discover a community of professionals and resources.
“The business plan I have, is not how we’re operating today, but it was the foundation that helped get us started,” Joey reflects. “It might be one of the reasons why we’re still here 20 years later.”
Learn more about entrepreneurship training at FVTC and the Venture Center >
