We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessie Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jessie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
WE EVENTS was founded as a way to give back to local charitable organizations that are near and dear to my heart. About 5 years ago, my husband pulled me aside and said that while he supported and loved all my charitable projects, soon they were going to put us into debt. So we discussed a solution where I could start a business and donate all of the money however I saw fit. I could use my many creative skills (event planning. wood working, floral design etc) to raise money for local causes.
Many people asked why I didn’t just start a charitable organization. There are several reasons why not. 1. I hate fundraising and asking people for money. 2. I couldn’t just settle on one cause to support when there’s so many that I believe are doing great things in our community.
WE EVENTS stands for so many things but mostly WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. I believe that it is our duty to support our community when we can and however we can. This does not always have to be in the form of monetary donations and it should feel rewarding and fun. Our mission is to HAVE FUN & DO GOOD. WE believe that volunteering early on in life can instill a life long goal of philanthropy. Plus volunteering / donating as a family has many increased benefits to your health: increased self confidence, combats stress and anxiety and most of can be fun!
WE EVENTS is a for profit business. Yet we also recognize that to whom much is given, much is expected. To that end, every thing WE do has a giving back component. We are proud to offer financial contributions, supply donations, probono community events, and publicity to Chicago based not for profit organizations each month.
Simply said, it’s all about having fun while doing good.
Jessie , 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?
WE EVENTS is an event planning company. We offer full to partial event planning, rentals, balloon installations as well as create custom backdrops, storefront window design and party props. What sets us apart is our flexibility and diverse services list. We aim to be a one stop shop as well as offer something for every budget.
We have a charitable side which our business was founded on. We donate a portion of everything WE do to a local monthly charitable partner. WE often take it a step further and host donation drives for our favorite charitable orgs. WE offer discounted or donated, on- site coordination for fundraisers and one donated balloon installation a month.
I am very proud of our newest program: Guppy Tank. Guppy Tank is a grant and mentorship program benefiting kid businesses (7 years – 17 years) that donate a portion of their proceeds/ goods to charitable organizations or give back to their community in some way. 4 Kid entrepreneurs a year are chosen for our 3 month mentorship program from the Guppy Tank Network, a dream team of small business leaders. They will also receive a financial grant of $500 that can go towards their business.
I get asked why WE founded a kid entrepreneur program a lot. Well, I believe that KIDS can make a big difference in this world and I want to help our emerging business leaders of tomorrow grow.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
#1 I 100% believe in collaboration over competition. There is enough business for all of us. It’s better for business to build relationships with other event industry people, instead of competing with them. I do not measure my success based on other businesses success. I prefer to connect, collaborate and support in order to strive for better relationships in business as well as my personal life.
#2 Im a hard worker and reliable. If I commit to a project then I’m 100% in and will give it my best!
#3 Our charitable side. I started WE EVENTS donating a portion of our proceeds and have continued to every year. As we grow, our donations have majorly increased. The first year we donated $2000 and over the course of the last 2 years we have donated over $55,000 in money, services and goods, to local charitable organizations or community projects. We are huge supporters of the idea of #PurchaseWithPurpose
How did you build your audience on social media?
I have built my social media following organically. Since I’m a local service based company, having followers from all over the world doesn’t turn into sales. I don’t stress about how many followers I have but instead focus on engaging the ones I do have. I respond in a timely matter – this is HUGE!! I also strongly believe in being yourself. I am who I am and I’m not going to fake it for social media. I post stories of me with no makeup, I post funny things that happen (see cake photo – that really did happen by accident) , I post my mistakes because we all have mistakes and I want people to know that I’m not perfect either. I want people to relate to me.
Social Media can be overwhelming but it can also be a place to connect with other businesses and gain new clients. When I first started out a girl named Melissa who I met on social media offered to sit down and share her social media wisdom. I have paid that forward with multiple other businesses by sharing my tips and tricks.
Another piece of advice is to take social media classes. I took several classes that were under $50 that were very helpful. You an also find free tips and ideas from following social media agencies. I learned a lot from @OakStreetSocial just by being on their newsletter list.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.WeEventsChicago.com
- Instagram: @WEEVENTSCHICAGO
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weeventschicago
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jessie-williams-399781141
Image Credits
Green and white and black wedding back drop photos by @Millenniummoments.studio