Today we’d like to introduce you to Dre Barthel.
Hi Dre, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
From a young age, I had a love for celebrations. Gathering the important people in my life. I was always arranging neighborhood picnics and rounding up friends for that next adventure. I loved the nuances and beauty of staging vintage dishes on the table and was equally as happy to get my clothes dirty racing Big Wheels. Through my school years and into college, I continued to be the go-to gal for planning the birthday bashes, and summer socials, and ensuring the decor was always on point. Gathering people together with intention and creating memorable experiences was my jam.
As I grew into adulthood curating experiences for people that fostered a sense of belonging…to be seen and celebrated… became more than a hobby. It was evident that it was rooted in a longing in my own heart. Having been through some personal struggles, that fueled my passion to notice those in the margins. This launched my desire to be connected to purpose-driven organizations committed to loving and serving others.
Throughout my professional career, I held positions that combined my skills as an advocate for others and my gift for planning and organizing. No matter where I worked or volunteered (from social work to healthcare, to sales) I always ended up on the event planning committee. The randomness of my resume brought a lack of career confidence. Including the big “stay-at-home mom” gap as well as the pressures of marriage and the daily grind of life. Upon taking the advice of trusted friends and mentors I began to do the work of praying and considering what was next. It became clear that entrepreneurship was the path to take. To have creative control and create a culture that is fully aligned with a mission for life and core values. Leading to the birth of Covey.
Outside of Covey…I am a mom of two teenagers. Brady is a Junior in high school and Brooks is embracing a “gap year” after graduation discovering his next best steps. I married my college sweetheart Tony and we have been married for 22 years. He pushes me to be the best version of myself. Sometimes the process of staying in it is painful…but our love runs deep and wide as we continue to anchor our marriage in God’s truth and never forget our crazy redemption story.
I love music. everything about it. Listening, writing, singing…it permits me to grieve, to celebrate, to question, and to come back to what is true. I am a board member for Jack’s Basket. An incredible non-profit that celebrates babies with Down Syndrome. They are changing the narrative of how the diagnosis is delivered from bad news to unexpected news…that their lives are worthy of celebration!
I am a founder and donor of The 25 at Bethel University…a program that equips and encourages female college students to prepare for life after Bethel. They are given access to exclusive programming and experiences aimed at training the next generation of female leaders.
Alright, 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?
Establishing healthy rhythms and boundaries while growing a business as a mom, wife, and committed volunteer is challenging, to say the least. The demands of my time create a beautiful opportunity to serve and can also foster pressure and the road to burnout. I am learning that it is crucial to fully unplug. To do that requires delegation and release of control. That requires a posture of trust and that can be hard!
Scaling. There are always more clients. More events. The choice to bring on more business and add to the team is thrilling and daunting. Currently, I am facing the challenge of whether or not to embrace a season of consistency and take a breather. OR go for it. Turn on the marketing faucet and trust that I will not drown. That I have the tenacity and grit to make things happen. That I have an incredible and capable team that will join me on the crazy ride of more event dates and client meetings on the calendar.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Covey is a boutique event firm in the Twin Cities that partners with organizations bringing their brand and mission to life through creative events and experiences. From the invitation to the thank you note we plan gatherings with intention.
Our client list includes large corporations, nonprofits, small business owners, and community organizations. Our suite of services focuses on the following areas – event planning and consulting, event marketing and branding, fundraising and development support, and we also produce our covey-powered events.
For our events, we manage logistics from galas, 5K races, company gatherings, fundraisers, retreats, donor dinners, and continuing education, to conferences and more. We have a great roster of recommended vendors, create and manage event timelines and show flows, provide excellent guest experience, show-stopping staging and styling, effective script writing, speaker prep, and manage the production side of the event.
Going hand in hand we often will do the event marketing for an event, so we will create the branding, messaging, email strategy, storytelling, video storyboarding, and social media strategy.
With a lot of our non-profit clients, we are working as an extension of their team to support their organization’s fundraising efforts. We help create a fundraising strategy for an event, digital campaign, or annual campaign throughout the fiscal year. We will do everything from donor data analysis, direct mail strategy, event creation and implementation, stewardship of donors, board training and coaching, script writing, event marketing management, event production, staging and styling, storytelling, and social media strategy.
Though producing events and experiences were the primary focus of starting the business, I have found building my team, the “Covey Crew” has become one of my greatest joys. Recognizing talent and providing opportunities for dreams to be realized (even if that means I am launching them and setting the stage for their next adventure) I believe deeply in mentorship, calling out life out of people and reminding them of what’s true about them. We have an authentic, life-giving culture and I can’t imagine doing this work without them.
This also translates to my clients. Building relationships, bringing the vision of their events to life, and creating meaningful interactions with lasting impact.
Since Covey opened our doors in August of 2017, over 20,000 attendees have been impacted and inspired by our events. I have helped raise millions of dollars for our nonprofit partners. I have created successful Covey-powered event series- the MomBoss 5k, The Steadfast Retreat, and Covey Coalition.
Covey is the vehicle that allows my passion for events, effective branding, and strategy to collide with my deepest desire to make a difference in the lives of others.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I have learned that it is better to pause and remember what is true. Before getting emotionally hijacked and creating narratives that are not true…whether about myself or others…that pause creates a healthier response. One that is rooted in selflessness and humility. When I do that- everyone wins.
It is crucial to quiet the noise. There are so many people, mediums, and voices that distract us from achieving our purpose in life. I have learned to minimize the access to the core of me to a trusted circle of people. I still believe in the importance of transparency and vulnerability on a larger scale…but having boundaries around that is key.
It is ok to fail. It is okay to test things to learn. Don’t let anyone define you or name things about you because you chose to be brave. Life is too short to be boring. God has given me a crazy capacity to create and serve others and until He tells me to stop, I am going to keep going. My heart is tethered to the verse he gave me years ago…”Do not withhold good to those whom it is due when it is in your power to act” Proverbs 3:27
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coveyevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coveyevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coveyevents/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dre-barthel-997b1341/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@coveyevents4450/
Image Credits
Irina Partyka Photography and Andrew Vick Photography
