Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thomas Adams and Haley Lucero. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below

Thomas, Haley, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Thomas: I was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer in 2016 and promptly underwent surgery for an orchiectomy. It was scary for sure, but I was encouraged by my family and Haley to turn the experience into something that provides change and good for the world. Haley was vital in the steps moving forward as we created the first Uno event. The Blues Ball was a music festival showcasing local artists and businesses—all completely non-profit. Proceeds from the event went directly to The Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation where they could be used to give back and educate about Men’s Cancers. We came up with Uno Media & Entertainment because of my condition. I’ve always felt that humor is a great way to communicate, and Uno just seemed right.

Haley: We always knew we wanted to be involved within the entertainment industry but we liked so many aspects it was hard to nail down how exactly we wanted to operate within it. We always knew it was the right call because it never felt like work–it felt energizing. After our first event, we moved into photography and videography. We felt it was a natural next step into the industry as we could provide a simpler service for artists, musicians, and businesses while we learned the networks and how the industry operated in Denver.

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 background and context?

Thomas: Uno Media & Entertainment is a company that not only provides high-quality photos, videos, and content at competitive prices, but also plans and executes live events from start to finish, provides music production services in our own studio, and even talent management and booking services for up-and-coming artists. Our goal is to be the change we’d like to see in the world. We don’t price gauge, and you’re not just a customer who is a dollar sign—you’re a friend for life once you work with us. I’ve been in the music and entertainment community since I was a kid, so it was only natural that we start something that kept us in that space. I have been in the Marketing space for years so creating content for our clients with Uno and being able to appropriately advise them on how to market themselves is second nature and truly a passion of mine.

Haley: I’ve been doing street team work since I was 12 for small independent record labels and have always been drawn to music. I feel I have a natural ear for instrumentation and good talent and have been able to translate that into our representation of up-and-coming acts such as 97Roses and other artists we help manage. I have a background in Finance working with small businesses which is how we’ve built some of our network with local product clients. Now I work in the Art & Entertainment space. I work with Meow Wolf to help financially plan and budget immersive art spaces as well as their ticketed and private events which I’ve been able to translate over to our business as CFO.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Thomas: We put on a music festival in Nebraska during COVID. The lockdown rules had just lifted and these drive-in festivals were all the rage. We reached out to a number of Colorado drive-ins, but they were either booked out or weren’t interested in the liability of something like that right out of lockdown. We even had one booked but they backed out because the owner had a change of heart about the health concerns. I don’t blame them, it was a weird time. So, we finally got everything lined up with New Freedom Fest in Alliance, NE. We had sound, we had the generator, we had the drive-in doing snacks and drinks and everything like that. We had a killer lineup featuring Plain Faraday, Graham Good & The Painters, and Float Like a Buffalo. We were really excited about it and I think it turned out great!

Haley: Well, what my wonderful husband is leaving out is that the event attendance was close to 15…out of 200. It definitely was not a smashing success by any means, but it taught us a super valuable lesson about forecasting, budgeting, marketing, and everything else you need to run a business and put on a great event. It was our first event out of lockdown and there were bound to be some hiccups, but the event went off without a hitch and those that were there had a great time! We actually met some our best friends to this day from those groups. We work with and hang out with them constantly now that shows are coming back and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Thomas: I think our products and services speak for themselves, but anyone can take a picture or edit a video. At least in the business-sense, we always keep our word. If we say we’re going to do it, we always try to go above and beyond for our clients. Fast turnaround times and high-quality results.

Haley: I think we really focus on genuine connection–our relationships with people and our willingness to connect those people. We don’t just view clients as sales and dollar amounts. We treat them like friends throughout the whole process and even after we maintain that relationship. Our love for art and the community is also a big factor. We’re focused on growing others as well. Whether we’re talking about clients or partners, we focus on growing the community and building others up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://unomediaent.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/uno.media.ent
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/Uno.Media.Ent
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uno-media-entertainment/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/unomediaent
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUlxbZ8GLoAoGHfUqjCm_jw