We were lucky to catch up with Wendy Woo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Wendy, appreciate you joining us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?

Before the pandemic musical opportunities were drying up. I had been playing in Colorado for 25 years and I think things just slowed down. I was looking for a new career path and I went and got my EMT license. Unfortunately, after I graduated there was no EMT work to be found. No one was hiring anyone without 2 years prior experience. So I went back to bartending and waiting tables at the age of 49. People were so excited that Wendy Woo was serving them food. I made many friends and talked a lot with my customers. I would get in trouble for spending too much time with the customers. I burnt a lot of bridges with the local restaurants in Loveland. When I lost my waitressing job on March 16, 2020, because of the covid shut down, I immediately secured an EMT job. I worked Fort Collins, Loveland, Denver, Aurora and Colorado Springs and it was an amazing experience. When things started opening up again, there were more gigs available than there were days in the years. I got a Tuesday night house gig at Betta Gumbo which I have been doing for almost 2 years now. I play all over the state of Colorado and I play almost every single day. Pay is good and tips are generous. I help organize community events and get all sorts of musicians together. I feel like the pandemic helped people remember how much they love live music and that has helped me become one of the hardest working musiians in Coloado, agian.

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 have been playing and performing music for close to 30 years. I have produced 13 albums and I have 2 documentaries. I book shows, promote events, write, play guitar, and sing. I have a store with WooWear in it. I sell CDs, T-shirts, glasses, teddy bears, and beer glasses with my brand. I believe that people want Wendy Woo at their show or concert or party because I have been playing so long, I think that I provide some nostalgic value.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

After the pandemic, my band of 15 years dispersed. We all had our own reactions to the pandemic. With underlying conditions and life changes, the Wendy Woo Band disbanded. I worked as an EMT during the pandemic. When doors started to open again, I found myself at local open mics. I could not believe the talent I was witnessing at these shows. It seemed to me that people had taken this time to work on their art and their music. I met a bass player, drummer, and keyboard player and I assembled my post-pandemic band. I also met other musicians like myself and we have all been sharing gigs and sharing contacts and we are all as busy as we want to be.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Consistency. I have been playing nonstop since 1995. I began to learn early on to be kind to everyone because technically, they are my clients. They come to my show because they are wanting to support my thing. Then, they enjoy it and they tell their friends. It is hard to make everyone happy, and I have burnt some bridges along the way, but I consistently try to be kind and accomodating to my people. I try to listen to the life stories that my clients share, because that is why they are there listening to my music. It brings them some sense of peace to nurture whatever their dreams are or whatever the trauma is that they are carrying around, that they are trying to heal.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wendywoo.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_realwendywoo
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewendywooband
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/thewendywooband
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/wendywoomusic
• Other: www.wendywoo.com, www.patreon.com/wendywoomusic, www.reverbnation.com/thewendywooband, www.facebook.com/wendywoo

Image Credits
Dana Paige, Jim Eckenrode,