We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Regina Schober a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Regina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

This thought usually crosses my mind under two circumstances: 1) I’m feeling particularly doubtful about myself, for whatever reason, or 2) the “mom guilt” is creeping in.

Generally, my husband and I love owning our own business because we call the shots, we create our own schedules, we love what we do, and we love who we work for and with. However, I think it’s safe to say that every business owner has a moment (or two) of, “What the heck am I doing?”

When that thought creeps in, it isn’t always a bad thing, even though I’m usually in a dark or doubtful state of mind when I’m thinking about it. Sometimes I second-guess myself. Sometimes I take a look around and compare myself to other, bigger, more experienced event planners and wonder if I’m fooling myself.

The self reflection is super important, although it can be hard. I think, “Do I actually have what it takes?” “Am I even good at this whole event planning thing?” “Maybe I would be better off assisting someone else.” I often talk through these doubts with my sisters, a friend, or my husband, and I almost always come out feeling more confident and more sure that I’m in the right place, doing the right thing. And then I get back to work. ;)

As for the mom guilt… I know the moms out there know exactly what I’m talking about. Mom guilt is that pit you feel in your stomach when you think you should be spending more time with your child, but then when you’re with them, you feel like you should be working or doing a million other things. Or perhaps the guilt is that you’d almost rather be working than spending time with your child because, let’s face it, it’s hard being someone’s entire world 24/7! And God forbid you try to do something for yourself, or you’ll feel guilty that you’re not spending that time with or for your child.

(…Breathe, mama, you’re doing exactly what you need to be doing.)

Owning a business does take a certain toll on parents. There’s the usual stress of work, plus the grind to keep the business afloat. It can be super, super easy to think, “If only I could just go to work… and come home, and not worry about anything else.”

But again, I come back to the realization that there will always be a certain amount of stress at work. Owning our own business means that we get to work from home and spend extra time with our son. We get to call off whenever we need to, without trying to explain ourselves to the boss or use up a sick day when we need to go to the doctor. Owning our own business means that our work fits into our life, and not the other way around.

And of course I think, “wouldn’t it be great to just… not doubt myself and not feel so guilty all the time?”

But let’s face it. Everyone has their doubts, at times, and I know that the “mom guilt” would be ten times worse for me if I had to leave my house to work at a “normal” 9-5 job. My husband and I have actually discussed this before: Yes, having a regular job would be less stressful, in some ways, but we truly believe that the freedom, flexibility, and control we have in owning our own business makes it all worth it.

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’m the events coordinator for Poetica Marketing, a marketing agency my husband founded in 2018. When his business took off, he focused solely on digital marketing and the importance of writing excellent copy for his clients. When I joined him, officially, in late 2022, we were able to expand our marketing services to include events. We saw the need for businesses to extend their efforts beyond the screen and into exciting, effective, live events. Today, we help our clients grow online and in person, and it’s my job to make sure the planning and coordination of each event is a smooth process for everyone.
My experience stems from theatrical events. I graduated from Seton Hill University with a BA in Theater Business and Performance, although my main focus was in technical theater. I fell in love with lighting design and everything that happens behind the scenes, so I worked all over the Pittsburgh area as a Freelance Lighting Designer and picked up jobs as an electrician, assistant lighting designer, technical coordinator, and even dabbled in stage management.
As a lighting designer, my goal was always to support the vision of the director or choreographer and creative team. With lighting levels, colors, and textures, I created an atmosphere that would immerse the audience into the performance, while supporting the production without (literally) outshining it.
Most of the skills and responsibilities I had as a designer and technician translated into “Event Planner and Coordinator” pretty smoothly. For instance: I work with a team toward a single vision; I find creative ways to do big things with a restricted budget; I plan ahead to prevent hiccups but to be as prepared as possible if a problem arose—the list goes on.
Today, my husband and I work together to ensure the growth of our clients’ businesses. When the opportunity arrises, we incorporate events into a client’s marketing strategy, and I also plan and coordinate events for folks who may not need the marketing support or already have a marketing team.
I work hand-in-hand with our event hosts to plan everything from the venue to the floor plan to the day-of agenda, and then I’m there from set-up to tear down on the day (or days) of the event. We specialize in anniversary celebrations, community events, conferences, educational seminars, webinars, and I even have a couple weddings on my list for 2025.
To this day, I love incorporating lighting design into the events I plan and coordinate, and I definitely credit my expertise in the events world to my experience in the technical theater space. To me, every event is a production. Every detail needs to work together to accomplish the goals and purpose of the event, and I want to ensure that the host and their attendees have an amazing experience.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

After I graduated with a degree in theater, I worked as a freelance lighting designer, an electrician, and many other roles in technical theater for almost a decade.
During that time, I became the Technical Coordinator for the dance performance studio at Point Park University. I was responsible for the safety and functionality of the studio as it was being used for classes each day, but then I also made sure the lights, sound, and video aspects were in proper working order for performances at night and on the weekends. I even kept an eye on the audience seating, lobby area, and patrons.
I started working on small projects at Poetica here and there between 2018 and 2022, and, one day, we decided I could no longer try to make event planning and coordination a side hustle. It was pretty clear that it was time to devote real love and attention into the family business.
I had never labeled myself as an entrepreneur or business person. I definitely never thought I would one day be running a business alongside my husband, working from our home in a shared office, and discussing potential leads and how to nail our next sales call. Literally every experience I’ve had, both professionally and personally, has prepared me and led me to this position. Admittedly, I know I couldn’t do this all on my own, though. I have the best partner in life and in business. Without him, I would have never taken the leap from side hustle to full-time career.

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

At Poetica, we have four pillars that drive us forward: Growth & Results; Honesty & Integrity; Family; and Community. My husband and I both grew up in loving, amazing families, and we’ve been surrounded by trustworthy, generous, and genuinely good people throughout our lives. That’s why it’s so important to us to serve other people with honesty and integrity, and to put family first.
When we help a client’s business grow, we’re really supporting that client’s family, and we recognize how much is at stake. So every marketing strategy we develop, every event I plan, and every hour spent helping a client is just one more effort to keep families happy, mouths fed, and business booming.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.poeticamarketing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poeticamarketing?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoeticaMarketing
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaschober

Image Credits

Dominique Murray Photography, Katie Ging Photography