Today we’d like to introduce you to Grant Jones.
Hi Grant, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Grant Jones, and I go by the Ultimate Entertainer! Since I was a little kid, I have loved to entertain, whether dancing around at school, church, or even in the kitchen, moonwalking in my socks! As I got older, I started doing Male Pageant Comedy shows for our school to raise money for students needing medical care! In my Senior year in High School, I danced, sang, and did a little improv comedy and won the competition! That was the catalyst of my career! Soon after, I went to Illinois State University, where I eventually got my degree in Broadcast Journalism and started Emceeing For Women’s and Men’s Basketball games. Go Birds! A couple of years after college, I began to work at Carnival Cruise Lines, where I learned how to DJ and hone my Hosting skills. In 2019, I won Employee of the Month out of 1,400 employees on the Carnival Vista and was selected to join one of the biggest Carnival Cruise ships ever! Where I was about to train to become a Cruise Director on the Carnival Fleet! However, after the Pandemic in 2020, I decided to step away from the sea life and move to Minnesota to start my own business, Grant Jones Entertainment, and work with some fantastic friends already established in the Twin Cities!
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I love the quote by Mark Ramsey that says, “Greatness is always on the other side of inconvenience!” I have been through my fair share of obstacles! But I like to find the good or the “Lessons” in the adversity. Right before I got on Carnival, I had kidney stones that wanted to come out around when I was about to board! Yikes! That caused a 4-month delay, but it put me from being on a smaller cruise ship to a bigger one where I met Matt Mitcham, one of the most known Cruise Director OG’s in the game! That guy became like a big brother to me and helped me grow so much, along with other great teammates who became my Carnival family! Another obstacle was getting fired from a job that I was very passionate about! In hindsight, however, I can now see how that took much of my time away from my business! I compare it to Bobby Brown getting kicked out of New Edition so he could become the King of RnB! How is he still cool with his New Edition family? I am still cool with my former company as well! In this business, you can’t afford to burn bridges!
We’ve been impressed with Grant Jones Entertainment LLC, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share about what you do and what sets you apart?
Established in 2021, Grant Jones Entertainment LLC is an Entertainment Service Business. I call myself the Ultimate Entertainer because I want to give my clients that Ultimate Party Experience and permit them to be authentic when partying! I do that using my Hosting, DJing, Comedy, and Dancing gifts! I Host and DJ Corporate Events, Weddings, Fundraisers, Galas, Live Variety/Game Shows, and more!
How often have you seen guests hesitant to jump on the dance floor? Most people don’t want to be the first to break the ice. That’s where I come in. I love to shine my light so others can shine as well! So, I take it upon myself to get the party started! The goal is to make people forget about what others will think about them and have fun! I love leading line dances at weddings to show people the way! Also, when I host a talent show or a variety show, I love to create a warm, inviting energy for the audience and the talent! They might be nervous before performing, so my job is to warm up the crowd to ensure the energy is just right so that when that talent grabs the mic, they get hit with loving vibes! I love doing live game shows at corporate events! I am a big Wayne Brady fan! He is on my vision board, haha! He got his start on cruise ships as well! So, I aspire to be more like him while still keeping my originality! I am super proud of all I have accomplished within these last 3 years with weddings and Game shows and building great relationships with others! I am truly blessed to be in the position God has allowed me to be in, and I am just getting started!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
First, I am left-handed, so I am always in my right mind! I am from Bloomington, Normal, IL ( my original twin cities), Home of State Farm and Steak n Shake! I am a big Lakers fan! It is so big that I have a warm-up jacket from when the Lakers were the Minneapolis Lakers. Cause we all know we got all the Lakes. I also love to Salsa and pop-lock everywhere I go! I am a Dancin Machine!
Contact Info:
- Website: grantjonesentertainment.com
- Instagram: gjentertainer
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-jones-62815bb9/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gjentertainer
Image Credits
Erin Mac Photography, Camilo Zapata, Visualvibez7, Dawns Photography, JusBeenRobbed
