We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jonathan McClain a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jonathan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?
The best thing we’ve done to show our patrons we appreciate them is refusing to “nickel and dime” them for basic amenities.
It is a core value of ours to provide a complete, high-quality festival experience for the price of admission. Many large-scale events have moved toward charging extra for things like seating, shade, or even basic comfort zones. We are firmly against that. In my view, if you are charging for a service that is required to make your product feel “complete,” you’re doing it wrong. You don’t sell a car with only three tires.
While there are certainly times to offer premium “add-ons,” those should be true luxuries—not basic necessities. If a feature is essential to the guest’s comfort, we include it in the base price and adjust our overhead accordingly. In a world that is heavily profit-driven, we believe that if you prioritize the quality of the human experience first, the profit will naturally follow. Our customers feel that respect the moment they walk through the gates; they aren’t just a walking wallet to us, they are our guests.
Jonathan, 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?
I’m Jonathan McClain, and if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’ve never been a fan of working for someone else—especially when “tradition” stands in the way of a better idea. I live for creativity and ingenuity. Though I wear many hats as a small business owner in real estate and entertainment, the Bluffwoods Renaissance Festival is where my passion for entertaining truly takes center stage.
I fell into event hosting because I love the “afterglow”—listening to people share stories about the magic they experienced at one of our shows. What sets our brand apart is that we aren’t just running a business; we’re building a community. I want our fans to know that this festival is a labor of love designed specifically for them. We are here to create a world that is as imaginative and welcoming as possible.
How did you build your audience on social media?
We built our social media presence by first being ‘bad’ and eventually growing into being… slightly less bad. In the beginning, we overthought everything, spending way too much time on scriptwriting and perfectionism. That was a mistake because it led to inaction. The real secret is consistency; frankly, being consistently bad is better than being rarely good. We still have a long way to go, but the biggest lesson we’ve learned is that you have to maintain a constant presence in people’s lives to stay relevant.
My second major tip is this: Do not use social media to advertise. No one logs onto their feed hoping to see a great commercial. Instead, strive to be either entertaining or informative. Use your platform to make the world better, make people smile, or teach something valuable. If you provide value first, you’ll be the first person they think of when they actually need your services.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Absolutely. I consume audiobooks for hours every day; if a task allows me to be on ‘autopilot,’ I’m using that time to engage with new ideas. While I could list dozens of titles, I’ve found that the most impactful thing isn’t any single book—it’s the common principles that run through all of them. The more you read, the more you can draw parallels between diverse philosophies and apply them to your own life and business.
In fact, I’m currently writing a book of my own that explores these exact connections between the world’s leading self-improvement philosophies. Rather than recommending a specific title, my best advice is to develop a relentless habit of reading. Every successful person I know is a voracious reader; once you start, you’ll quickly see why it’s a non-negotiable part of growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bluffwoodsrenfest.com
- Instagram: @bluffwoodsrenfest
- Facebook: /bluffwoodsrenfest
- Youtube: @bluffwoodsrenfest
Image Credits
John Bachman