Today we’d like to introduce you to Lelai Givens.
Lelai, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all started in 2014 when I was a sophomore at Rowan University. I banded with a group of friends to hold the first-ever Notes of Hope Benefit Concert in a small Pitman, NJ cafe. The event was an opportunity for upcoming artists to showcase their talents and entrepreneurs to promote their businesses, all while raising money to support orphans affected by the Ebola crisis in Liberia, West Africa.
Notes of Hope proved to be a great networking event for young creatives and entrepreneurs. I loved every step of planning the concert and seeing the final result was life-changing. Witnessing the smiles, the love, the compassion, the collaboration, and the talent in the room made me realize that event planning was truly my passion.
By popular demand, Notes of Hope was made into an annual event. Because of my work through Notes of Hope, I received the Purple Heart Award for American Business Ownership from The National Society of American Business Owners. This led to the creation of my production company, LoveLee Productions, which became an LLC in 2017.
Through LoveLee Productions, I have continued hosting events, including fashion shows, concerts, brunches, retreats, and even webinars. I have also produced several short films, a web series, and numerous projects for clients such as promotional videos and event highlight videos. I also build and manage websites for clients, especially small businesses and non-profits.
Through my projects, I have been able to foster a sense of community among my peers. Entrepreneurship is not an easy journey, especially when you’re young or in the beginning stages of a business. Many people have made valuable connections while attending a LoveLee event or by working on one of LoveLee’s sets. My passion has always been to provide opportunities for young entrepreneurs and creatives to continue advancing their skills. I also aim to encourage my peers to not be afraid of creating their own opportunities.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have come across multiple challenges along my journey of entrepreneurship. However, every obstacle I faced has taught me an invaluable lesson. For example, after I booked a venue for an event, the owners of the company sold the business, which caused multiple complications. Although the new owners said they would honor everything in the original contract, the day of the event came and nothing was as it should have been. While the experience was unfortunate, I did learn a lot about crisis management and quick problem solving that I was able to apply to future events.
LoveLee Productions – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
LoveLee Productions aims to provide a community for creatives and entrepreneurs to connect through media content and through a variety of events designed to assist in the advancement of their careers. Our services include Event Planning & Coordination, Film & Video Production, Graphic Design, and Website Building. LoveLee Productions is unique because our focus is helping other small businesses through our work. We operate on the idea of networking across – working together to come up together.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The 2017 Notes of Hope Benefit Concert was definitely my proudest moment. I consider that specific year of the concert an accomplishment because I was truly able to elevate the event. Just a year before, the concert was held in a little cafe. In 2017, we moved to a much bigger venue and we were able to fill it. That year, I worked really hard on the marketing and publicity of the event. We were able to bring in a celebrity host who fit the event perfectly. We gained the attention of news and media outlets. We raised a significant amount of money for charity. And I was working hard putting this NJ event together while simultaneously working through an intense Master’s program. So I’ve always been really proud of that event and it really helped me shape the future of the benefit concert series.
Contact Info:
- Website: loveleeproductions.com
- Phone: 7037893852
- Email: lelai@loveleeproductions.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/loveleeproductions
- Facebook: facebook.com/loveleeproductionsllc
Image Credit:
Youvision Photography
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