Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeffrey Booth. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jeffrey, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
While I did go through a naming process that took about a week, naming my newest event production company was easier for me than my other businesses. I chose a name that means something to me, and my company is actually named after my dog, Mikko! He’s a 4.5-year-old Vizsla which is a Hungarian hunting dog, similar to a German Shorthaired Pointer. Vizslas have more of a reddish-orange color, and he can definitely be a devil at times, so I settled on Red Devil Events! I feel this name also works for the event industry because my goal is to get people to put their worries aside and come out and enjoy my unique events.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I got into the event industry kind of by accident. At the time I was doing digital marketing, social media, and web development work full-time. I would occasionally organize a large event with all of my friends in Charleston just to catch up with everyone. These events became larger and larger each year, and eventually I transitioned this into a full-scale business for the general public.
I put on fully immersive events across the southeast. So far I’ve done events in Charleston, Greenville, Tampa, and St Petersburg. I have many more cities on my list. I think my approach and out-of-the-box thinking set me apart from others in the industry. I tend to focus less on traditional themes/decor, and really try to put on unique events that no one has ever experienced before.
I am most proud of my Gatsby Gala events in Charleston in 2020 and 2022 and my 3 (yes 3) Barbie-themed parties I had in 3 different cities within 2 weeks of each other. It was a ton of work, but a great experience for sure.
The main things I want my customers and fans to know about me and my brand is that I really take to heart any feedback you have about my events. Most companies will just tell you what you want to hear so you’ll leave them alone, but I genuniely want any feedback (positive or negative) so I can improve next time. I know I’ll never get it perfect, but it’s something to strive for!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Social media is a vital part of my business and a therapeutic outlet, so it’s a win-win for me. So many people and businesses on social media pretend they have the perfect life or business (especially on Instagram). You may impress a few people, but I don’t think this is the right approach at all. Most people can see right through this, and you’re not making a genuine connection with your audience. I’ve found the best way to build your following is to just be yourself. Pick a general tone that you’re comfortable with (funny, serious, etc), and share the journey of your business. Don’t just post when things are going great, people love to see the journey, the mistakes, the bad times, etc. You’ll get a much more engaged audience when they can connect with a real person behind the business.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’ve pivoted quite a few times actually, but I think that’s why after 10 years I can still call myself an entrepreneur. My biggest pivot however was probably right after I graduated college in 2008. I had studied finance (and marketing), but I was determined to make it on Wall Street with my finance degree. Well, of course, 2008 was the great financial collapse with some of the largest firms going bankrupt. I didn’t see any way I could continue in the field (at least for years), so I taught myself 6 programming languages and pivoted into web development. I started my first business within 3 months which was designed to help other people find jobs during that difficult time. While ultimately that business wasn’t successful, it was the first big step into my entrepreneurial career, which is often the hardest one to take.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://reddevilevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reddevilevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devilparty
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybooth29/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedDevilEvents
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@reddevilevents
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@reddevilevents
Image Credits
Reese Moore