Rising Stars: Meet Joshua Robinson of Woodstock

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Robinson.

Hi Joshua, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have a theatre degree from Reinhardt University. After I graduated, I moved to Woodstock where I taught during the day and acted at night. I was also on an improv troupe that hosted a comedy fundraiser night at Reformation Brewery once a month called Brew Ha Ha. For one of these Brew Ha Has, they wanted to do trivia, so I volunteered to host! After trivia was over, the manager of Reformation came up to me and said, “That was fun! Could we do that here on a regular basis? Do you have a card?” And I said,“Sure! But I don’t have any cards on me, here’s my number.” And I went home and made myself some business cards. I hosted monthly trivia at Reformation starting in January of 2017, which moved to weekly trivia in September of 2017. I quit my job and applied for my business license in January of 2020, which in hindsight, was a TERRIBLE time to start an events business. But we made it through shut down hosting virtual trivias on Facebook and by 2021, we were back in action!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As mentioned, I started an events business 3 months before a global pandemic, which was definitely a scary time. And when things finally opened up, we had to convince restaurants, breweries, and bars to choose Lights Up! to bring in customers over several established entertainment companies in the area.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Lights Up! Entertainment specializes in Trivia, Music Bingo, and Karaoke and currently hosts over 150 events a month. I think what makes us special is we feel passionately about hiring performers. With my theatre background, I think it’s important to bring in artists who are not only comfortable on the mic but entertain in a way you forget your problems for those few hours. Our name “Lights Up!” is a theatre term – what the director or script says to start a scene, like someone yelling “Action!” while filming a movie. Our other focus is bringing in more customers to venues on nights that are a bit slower, and we do this a few different ways. We strive to make our trivia questions accessible, inclusive, and fun! We also LOVE a good theme! Trivia, Music Bingo, and Karaoke all have themes that bring people out to celebrate their favorite TV show, Movie, Book, Musician, or decade! We’ve done dozens of theme nights with over a hundred teams, which we’re very proud of.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
If there’s one thing I wish I could tell my younger self, it would be to take some business classes. At this point, I understand how to curate trivia questions, I understand audio and visual equipment, and I understand how to entertain. The financial and advertising aspects I’ve had to learn along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Lightsuptrivia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightsupentertainment?igsh=MXhkb3Bwazh4OGVycQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/LightsUpEntertainment1991/