We recently connected with Matthew Merchant and have shared our conversation below.
Matthew, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
MC Events Co. was born out of a natural love for music and photography. Music has been a huge part of my life from a young age. With a background in various choirs and bands, a handful of instruments, and writing/producing/performing
In late 2011, I worked at a restaurant where we hosted large events and weddings. One night, I saw the DJ during a party and thought, “I would love to do that!”. I walked up and basically asked for a job on the spot. A few months later was my first day in the DJ/Wedding industry in January 2012, coincidentally on my birthday.
Four years later, my younger brother Christopher moved to CO with an interest in photography. We had the idea to start a family business combining the Music & Camera aspects of special events. He started shadowing me at parties and weddings, usually camera-in-hand, and learning the industry. We came up with the “MC Events Co.” name (Master of Ceremonies, Matthew & Christopher, Music & Cameras), our slogan – “Master Your Ceremony”, and our mom, who happens to be a professional artist, drew the first logo and painted our first banner.
We have a genuine love for what we do! Each of our team members are invested in their craft(s) and enjoy impacting others with our passions. This makes it a no-brainer that we are in the right place doing what we love!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
So I’m Matthew, the “M” of MC Events Co. I would describe myself as an ambitious go-getter, thrill seeker, and social butterfly. I enjoy traveling, gaming, nature, seafood, snowboarding, motorcycling, time with family and friends, and music of course!
I’ve been self-employed since I was 22, which was also about the time I discovered the love for DJ’ing. This combined with a love for entertainment and working with people was a perfect combo for a career choice. With my years of entrepreneurial experience and a real estate background, I had a decent foundation to build the business side of things. Recruiting the family was an inevitable “happy-stance”, and the “secret sauce” to our success with our complimentary talents working together for a common goal.
Over the years, we’ve grown our family, enlisted some best friends, and expanded our services. Present day, our services include DJ/MC’s, Photography, Videography, Photo Booth, Custom Art, Face Painting, Special FX & Lighting, and Event Planning.
MC Events Co. is based on being a Master of Ceremonies, in more ways than one. Each crew member brings special talents to the table to help our clients bring their events to life. Being experienced in multiple aspects of the industry allows us to collaborate and think outside the box to do some unique things for our clients. Whether creating a custom song mash-up, to hand-crafting a personalized wedding album for the photo booth, or combining our services across the board for large-scale community events – there’s not many problems we can’t solve!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think the most important thing you can do to build your reputation is to handle all your interactions with integrity. You never know who may be looking or might notice your good character, and those qualities stand out far more than big billboards and expensive ads. Honesty, doing the right thing, and going the extra mile can speak volumes! Your name and brand will naturally be recognized more and more over time, both to the general public, and to your industry contacts. The key is what people say when your name comes up. If you can build a history of trust and respect with your clients and friendors, you’ll have a good network to support your business into the future as it grows.
Good reviews and word of mouth are also gold!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
The best advice I’ve learned in management is to invest in your people. Invest in their craft and education, but also in their family, personal, and emotional aspects. Take time to check in on how they’re doing and see how you can help them reach their goals. Be positive, supportive, and inspire them to do their best. Be a friend when appropriate and compliment your staff for a job well done. Get out of the office and go on staff outings just for fun! Create an environment where your staff feels welcome, appreciated, and able to grow. This leads to happier employees and a great workplace!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mceventsco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mceventsco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mceventsco/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mceventsco
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mceventsco
Image Credits
-Mariana Ziegler -Amy Gutschick -MC Events Co.