Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Villegas.
Hi Christopher, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story begins when I was a pre-teen and would plan and host a recurring party in my neighborhood called the “Party House”. I would design and print flyers promoting the part and slip them under the front door of my friend’s houses. My neighbor and I would then decorate his parent’s living room and would host dances for all the kids in the neighborhood. I did this for many years growing up as I enjoyed it so much. Fast forward many years later to my adult life working full time at Target Corp. I was a Senior Systems Engineer in Technology but also volunteered on the LGBTQ Business Council and was the lead for setting up events to kick off Pride across the organization. This was no small task but one that I’d been waiting to do my entire life and it turned out to be one of the most memorable events of my life. Part of the event included a Team Member Drag-off as part of the entertainment and our CEO, CFO, Chief of Police, and Mayor all showed up to the event. I planned that party for 3 straight years and it got bigger and better every time. I realized soon that my full-time job in technology was no longer fulfilling and I was looking for a change in my career. Post Target I took some time off to travel the world and figure out just what it was that I wanted to do.
After traveling, I met up with a friend for lunch who also recently had left their job searching for their true purpose. During that lunch, she asked me what would I want to do that wouldn’t feel like work. Immediately I said plan parties not thinking it was something I could actually make a living doing. Despite that, I started to investigate what it would take to create my own business. I had recently been introduced to my friend Paul Croft and he was the true catalyst to where I am today. At the time, Paul had recently started his own small business and helped me build my LLC with finances, taxes, and by introducing me to a creative partner to help build my website. Once those things were all in place the dream seemed real… and then BAM, Covid.
I spent the entire winter of 2019 and 2020 getting all of my ducks in a row that would help me become a successful new small business owner; website, branding, logo, vision, finances, you name it. I had planned for an opening date of April 11, 2020, but was thrown for a loop in early March when Covid hit. I was devastated. Like everyone else, early on I thought this was going to be like the seasonal flu and just a small blip on the radar.
As the weeks and months passed by, it was clear this was going to be a while and I was heartbroken. I had used nearly all of my savings to start this company and just like that it could be over before I really even got it started. I felt like a failure even though there was nothing for me to fail at because I hadn’t even really started. It was a feeling that was difficult to shake and I felt it hard. I had to keep reminding myself over and over again that it was completely out of my hands. I don’t recall the day that I finally snapped out of my funk but it likely was the day I hosted my first event at the APT. It was a Dolly Parton-themed birthday party for my friend, Angie. Since it was still early on during the pandemic there were still very strict capacity limits but we managed to have an amazing event while still meeting the new guidelines. It was the spark that I need to see that my business could still work despite the current climate and stringent restrictions. As it turned out, my small space was the silver lining in all of this; I was able to host small in-person events while still being able to maintain social distancing and capacity guidelines.
While 2021 continued to bring a number of protocol and booking challenges, it was a pivotal year for me. I started to focus more on advertising and marking and getting my name and business out there so once restrictions were lifted and the world returned to some sense of normalcy, people would be lining up to use my event space. And that is precisely what happened. I spent a lot of time on social media, connecting with friends and relatives to get the word out. I turned in some favors and made connections in the media to get my name out there. Fast forward to today and the word got out and I’ve been busier than ever and don’t see an end in sight to the events.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all. One of the main hurdles I’ve had to get over is Covid. It has completely changed the landscape for small business owners especially those in the event industry. The constant change in regulations, the uncertainty of what’s to come, and the fear of losing everything have been challenging to the mental state of mind. The other struggle that I’ve been dealing with is the unknowns of being a new small business owner. A lot of things I’ve had to overcome, I’ve had to learn on my own. I have been getting guidance here and there from other small business owners and peers but there are so many things that you never would be able to understand until you go through it. For example, I’ve never been my own boss. I’ve always had someone higher up than me making decisions and giving me feedback. When you’re the one in that position, it’s hard to draw the line between being the boss and the employee. You no longer have someone to hold you accountable, someone that may have more experience to make a big decision, or to give you praise for doing a good job.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The APT?
The APT is an intimate event space that is used to host your favorite people. I like to think of it as using my space to host an event as if you were hosting it in your own home.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
The app called Monday has been something that has been a key part of my success. Without that, I would have a hard time keeping on track of tasks that need to be done and clients that need response and help.
Another application that has changed the way I do business has been Squarespace. It has given me a creative outlet to build my brand the way I want, communicate with past, current, and past clients, and is a landing spot for those needing information about my business.
Instagram has also been a game-changer. Not only is it free advertising and marketing, but I’ve found it has replaced the physical business card. People used to say “do you have a card?” which has been replaced with “what’s your Instagram?”
Pricing:
- Sun – Thur: $100/hr.
- Fri – Sat: $150/hr.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.theaptmpls.com
- Instagram: @theaptmpls
- Facebook: @theaptmpls
- Twitter: @theaptmpls
- Youtube: @theaptmpls
Image Credits
Empiria Studios
Athena Hays Photo
Christa Reed Photography
BryanB Photography
Adam Kennedy Photography
Jeannine Marie Photography
