We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brittany Loren Ball a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittany Loren, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I am a traveling entertainer with a background in the circus arts, theater and dance. I have had a vocal coach since I was 6 years old and continue to use that skill in my business today. I started Brittany Loren Performance LLC in 2015 as a solo artist. In 2018 I made it an entertainment agency with the Trademark Glovation Circus starting with only 15 team members. Since then we have grown to over 50 team members. We also have a sister company, Blue Crow Talent in Michigan, and Krescendo in Indiana.

I started focusing on Glovation Circus full time in the same summer it was created. During the pandemic in 2020 I turned my focus towards a clothing line I named Berry’s Closet, which makes clothing for dancers, fire artists, and other entertainers. This helped me through the pandemic and I now use these skills to create unique custom costumes for clients.

Having Glovation Circus in my life has been a huge blessing. It takes a lot of work, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because of my company I have been featured twice on local news morning shows, interviewed and featured in magazines and newspapers, and traveled from the east coast to the west, north to south. Very soon I will be traveling out of the country to do what I love! I look forward to where this career takes me. And am grateful to have found a career that allows me to do what I genuinely love.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started in theater, traveling choirs, and many movement classes like ballet and gymnastics. Much of that was done in my youth, it wasn’t until I was 24 that I started to elevate my entertainment curriculum in a more professional way and take aerial acrobatic classes. My first paid opportunity in the industry was in 2015, modeling for the Toledo Museum of Art. From there I grew my skills, took more classes, began research for self-taught skills, and then started Glovation Circus. Although there is a lot more to the story of how I ran away with the circus, you will just have to ask me yourself.

Starting my business was way more work than being a solo entertainer. I took a year to gather information on running a business, took some classes, joined other teams and companies, built relationships and then started the process, hosting auditions, vetting performers, and now I am here. Last year I started joining networking groups and am now a part of HerHub, a women’s focused networking group focusing on women owned businesses. Joined the Maumee chamber of commerce and am now backed by the Better Business Bureo. I would say 60% of my time is spent in meetings, answering calls and replying to email booking and planning events.

What am I most proud of? Thats a hard one to answer. There is so much I have accomplished. My career has grown much more than I knew it could. I have traveled so much, made great connections and experiences. I think if I really had to choose one thing, it would be the community I created. I didn’t know how much of an impact creating Glovation Circus would have, but now I can say with pride that I have given so many people jobs, that I have had a hand in over 100 people’s lives and their growth in a career they love. My proudest achievements are the ones made by my team both as a group and individually.

What sets us a part from others; Alot of the time when people think about circus, they think lions tigers and elephants. But we focus on human interaction. We call ourselves experience creators because that’s what we do. Our interactive performers are living art, LED dancers, stilt walkers, aerialist, fire performers, and much more. But even aside from what sets us apart in our costuming and performance, we have a different approach with training and company growth. Although our team members are independent contractors, we have a big focus on skill growth as a team. Bringing in instructors with various skills for any member to attend. Some classes are paid for by the company like our first partner acro class, our Gogo dance skills class, and balloon twisting and face painting classes, there are others that the team pays for while we provide travel or a venue for hosting.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Keep in mind that the idea of a starving artist is dead. Artists are trade skills, they deserve as much respect and business as a lighting crew, tent company, or venue owner. The best way to support the arts is to invest in it, not with exposure, but financially. Building up the arts makes for a more colorful world, more creative future generations, and allows for an overall better economy.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Glovation Circus strives to bring a more creative and colorful place to live in. We reach this goal by working within the community, supporting non-profits, and giving other creatives an opportunity to express themselves and create a career doing something they love. We aspire to create long lasting experiences for all ages and peoples. Circus can be the glue that brings us all together.

Contact Info:

• Website: glovationcircus.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glovationcircus/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Glovationcircus
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi2XEXQGHtGwraAKo_CBpvw

Image Credits
Many are by MonteGraph, others are by Illuminate Photography, and Caleb Jackson