We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joshua I. Lewis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Joshua I., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?
At conception, it was just me and an idea. As the concept has developed, I have brought on some key team members that were here in the early stages and others that have been added recently. In the beginning, it was about using the resources I had available around me because in the early stages of a business, you are trying to get a lot done with very little income or resources. For many years, I was juggling it all. It wasn’t until recently that I have felt comfortable releasing the reins to my team, in part because I wanted to remain in control and in part because we have gotten to a point where I simply can not continue to have my hands on everything that we need to scale. Our interview process may seem a little unconventional because in the beginning, we were just a group of friends with different skill sets that came together to expand upon my idea. Since then, we have been strategic in finding that right fits for not only our needs, but for our team’s culture. You can be the best in your field, but if your values don’t align with our company’s mission it simply will not work. We pride ourselves on culture, diversity, and community and it is important that everyone on our team holds those in high regard as well.
Joshua I., love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Updown Nightlife App Inc., is a social media app specifically targeted at nightlife. We are a consumer based app that’s aim is to enhance the nightlife experience for any user. Furthermore, we use the data that we collect to better equip those in the nightlife industry (i.e. bars, clubs, liquor distributors, event spaces, etc.) with information that they can tailor to the demographic they are trying to reach. While for years, we have been known throughout Kansas City as a company that throws exceptional parties, there is so much more than meets the eye. There is a reason we understand what patrons are looking for and a reason we are able to provide that, which is what we want to bring forth on a grander scale.
We have different features on the app that help with this. On our User Feed, users can post pictures or videos while out enjoying nightlife. The posts only stay up for 24 hours so if you want to know what bar or club is poppin, you can check out where people are posting. Our HotSpot feature will tell you what is happening in any district in Kansas City that night. It is updated every morning, so you can click on an area you want to go to and see which clubs or bars are having a DJ or Live Music, drink specials, etc. Because we are consumer based, we take feedback very seriously and want to get a feel for what our users want to see with updates.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I have had to pivot so many times in business and in life, but of course the pandemic had a huge impact on us. The nightlife industry was hit pretty hard when government lockdowns were put into place but it was throughout that time that really illuminated how imperative the nightlife industry actually is. We were all stuck in our homes craving that social interaction and liquor stores were deemed an essential business. That’s very telling right there. It was during this “down time” that we really honed in on developing the app as quickly as we could because as we saw, when those lockdowns were lifted, people were anxious to get back out there and mingle.
But I think it’s also important to note that nightlife is so much more than just partying. A lot of our events have allowed young professionals to network. Happy hours with coworkers are considered team bonding but at its base, that is also nightlife. Power and Light and other districts are packed during March Madness or playoff seasons, and that is nightlife too. We aim to encompass all of these things and centralize them.
Any advice for managing a team?
Mental health is extremely important to us. I think that transparency is extremely important when it comes to managing a team and I think a large part of that is allowing them and yourself to be human. We all have work that needs to be done and we all want to operate at the highest level, but sometimes that can be draining or wear on your mental health so we have to be realistic about expectations and give one another grace. Myself, and those on the admin level of the company, make it a point to lead with compassion, understanding, and grace. Making your employees feel like you are invested in their success not only as a part of the company your run, but in their personal endeavors as well, has proven to be beneficial.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://updownnightlifeapp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/updownnightlife/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Updownnightlife
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/updown-nightlife-app/?viewAsMember=true
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/updownightlife?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor