Today we’d like to introduce you to Weaze, Kami and Paul Hill.
Weaze, Kami and Paul, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Whenever we went out for drinks, it was inevitable for us to get into intense debates or lively discussions about relations over. We would sometimes create outlandish hypothetical scenarios and hear our opinions. It is a typical norm during any night out having a good time. The only thing missing was the counterparts of each hypothetical answer to plead their case. This sparked the idea to create a platform showing both genders together at a neutral ground to express themselves. The idea came in February of 2017. We called on our closest family and friends to be a part of our first day. Then, in March of 2017, we shot our first pilot episode. Later that year, we decided to host game nights to bring traction to the show. We premiered our first Cups ‘N’ Convos Game Night in January of 2018. Since then, we have been the #1 Gender relation web-series and Game Night in the U.S.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course, it wasn’t a smooth road. The road still gets bumpy from time to time, but we always manage. During our start-up stage, it was a challenge getting enough people to come cast in our auditions. Luckily, word of mouth started spreading like wildfire, making it no longer a problem. For some odd reason, whenever things started to get smooth, another issue arose. At times, it would feel as if unforeseen complications were out to get us. For example, a production studio we were using canceled on us last minute because they overbooked us on the same day they were shooting with a major network. Sending out roughly eighty apologetic cancellation memos is an unwarranted feeling. We want everyone we work with to have a tremendous unmatched experience. Therefore, first impressions are crucial to us. The search when switching venues for our game nights to accommodate the season change permits for even more struggle.
Cups ‘N’ Convos – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As Co-creator of Cups ‘N’ Convos, I never really think of what I do because it’s all relative. A little bit of everything is always going to be my job, and whatever the brand needs, I’ll either do it or direct the right person for the task, says Kami. So casting, event planning, producing, marketing, etc. It’s all in a day’s work. I’m Paul, known as the Co-Creator and Executive Producer; I specialize in Directing and Editing. I’m the narrator, the voice behind the questions asked during interviews. I’m Weaze, the CEO; I specialize in bringing good people together to accomplish great things by identifying, nurturing, and challenging the hidden talents within my partners and teammates. Together we operate Cups ‘N’Convos.
We are mostly known for our gender relations web-series seen on Youtube. Our mission is to provide an inclusive fun-filled platform for millennials to increase their social capital. Being that New York City is one of the most overpopulated cities, safe spaces are vital for creators to network and enjoy. We are highly influential in the dating world. Our web-series is #1 in NYC. Our segments allow individuals an opportunity to converse about casual relationship topics in a three-on-three or one-on-one setting. During our “On the Move” segments, we take our questions to the streets, collecting more perspectives from people in their daily commutes for viewers to enjoy. We recently visited L.A and look forward to making our presence known in Atlanta. Our controversial dating questions usually raise traction through-out social media averaging 1M+ views on Twitter, World-Star Hip Hop, and other highly influential meme profiles.
We also specialize in turning game nights into a lifestyle. We have pulled off twenty-four successful events. Honestly, there is no other game night out like ours. We provide a plethora of friendly competitive activities for the masses. Some have called it the “adult only Games R’ Us.” With hundreds of people at a time, our event manages to help foster healthy relationships while playing classic games; you probably haven’t gotten to enjoy in a while. Double Dutch, Connect Four, Street Fighter, Twister, or Rock ‘Em Sock’Em are just a few to name. The best part is it can quickly turn into a party with music from DJ Hypa and drinks at the bar. For our most faithful customers, it is essential for their mental health.
As a company, we are most proud of a few things. Of course, the growth of the company. When an idea comes to life, there’s nothing like it. The show is one thing, but the Game night was a mere thought that took a life of its own and commanded its lane. On average, we host events with 600+ people. Our social media accounts on Instagram, and Twitter has grown tremendously. We’ve not only established an independent podcasting/web series community but that we’ve been able to be trailblazers and leaders in that community. We’ve recently qualified for the YouTube partnership program. We have all opinions to vocalized in a safe and entertaining environment. We are really for the culture. We’ve donated funds to Black Girls Code and Breast Cancer Society. We’ve hosted the biggest BBQ in Brooklyn & have sponsored Black Film Space summer mixer of 2019.
What sets us apart is our attention to detail. A lot of times, the masses don’t know what they want until you give it to them and won’t know better until you show them better. So we make sure we take it upon ourselves to continue raising the bar that way, the only competition we have is us. Since we’ve all been a family long before cups, there’s a unique synergy that comes with that, and it’s that special connection that’s the driving force or vibe that fuels our content, events, and inspires the community. Not only are we a social media source of entertainment, but we also host live events for our followers can engage with staff and enjoy the biggest Gamenight ever.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is an achievement of purpose. Our criteria marker is when we become the most extensive gender relations web series and Game Night to the whole World. Once we start traveling overseas then we’ll know we are game-changers.
A quality that is important to our success is we feel obligated to give back while providing a Cups Experience in everything we do. We give back in so many different forms. Whether we are capturing people’s opinions so viewers can have an understanding of their dating or relationship concerns or hosting a game-night for people to get away and have fun comfortably. Our customers will walk away with something that makes them feel better in some capacity. We hosted an upscale New Year’s Gala for everyone to celebrate a new start to a long victorious year ahead, curated an after-work mixer for people to network, and we’ve used our platform to host a date auction charity event. We are creating an all-inclusive platform that is for us, by us. We do everything with a purpose. Our unique characteristics are that we have a team full of multi-faceted individuals who provide different strengths. Since day one, Reem, Ness, Ferris, Tess, and Sean have been down with us. Reem has been and an integral piece to our puzzle. He’s the Assistant Director of Events and Producer who specializes in audio and video production. He created an app called FOI (Factory of Images) that has all of our video content and pictures on one platform for review. Ness is our Production – Assistant who will do anything and everything. She’s building our PR team from the ground up. Ferris is an innovator who comes up with new ways to engage our audience. He has a gift of scouting notable influencers to bring on the show. Tess is a vibe setter. She is the first smile people see upon arrival. She handles our calendar, so everyone is on the same page. Sean is the muscle with a businessman mindset. Together we are a family that’s locked in with each other. We grind together. We adapt when changes need to must be made. We never shy away from trying new things, and that is what tremendously impacts our success. We have created a lane for us to accelerate in. When the road has speed bumps, we navigate ourselves pretty well, and we understand there is beauty in the struggle.
Pricing:
- Game Night: Free-$25
- T-Shirts: $20
- Vendors Fee: $150
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CupsNConvos.com
- Email: Cupsnconvos@gmail.com
Image Credit:
@visionarysoul2, @kinginfiniti, @dp.jolly, @vitamindiddy
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