Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Klotz.
Hi Erika, 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’ve been a serial entrepreneur since the semester before I graduated college at St. Louis University. That is when I caught the “entrepreneurial bug.” I’ve worked for myself ever since. My journey started with a company pitched at SLU’s school of business’s elevator pitch competition. There were 25 finalists, and I was one of the “people’s choice” finalists. The finalists were put into a real elevator with real investors to do their 30-second pitch. There were news crews and other bystanders as part of the day. The next day, my picture was on the newspaper. It was from that moment on that I knew I had to pursue the business that I pitched.
My first business was a digital media brand called “We Are Fine Line.” I ran this business for two years and through my experience in the industry, I found a hole in the market for a technology company. I started a company called PopBookings which facilitates event staff bookings for experiential marketing programs at high volume events like concerts, sporting events, and trade shows. We now have 250,000 talent profiles across the US and Canada and facilitate over $15 million worth of jobs annually.
In 2019, I had a few spare months in the slow season in the events industry to start a new company with my sister-in-law. We both worked for ourselves and had some extra time. So one night at family dinner, we dreamed up The Selfie Room. From that moment to two months later, we opened our doors for business. We have been open for nearly three years now and are looking to open our second location in South Beach in Miami.
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?
My journey has been filled with luck but also challenges. With my company PopBookings, I have had a slew of lawsuits ffor various reasons. We received a lot of good press and noteriaty and one thing I have learned about that is it can invite people who want to take advantage of you.
We’ve raised $5 million from investors, which isn’t easy. From pitching multiple people, getting rejected, to doing due diligence all while trying to run and grow your company is no easy job. With the pandemic, events went away completely for a little over a year. Our business has been bouncing back nicely, but it has been difficult.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
PopBookings is a mobile app for hiring temporary marketing event staff at various high volume events like concerts, sporting events, and trade shows. We are the only marketplace that fully automates the booking process from start to finish.
The Selfie Room is a 3,000 square foot studio filled with a maze of interactive art exhibits specifically designed for people to come to take pictures. With professional lighting at each of our 19 stations, our customers get high-quality photos with fun backdrops, some adjusted for the seasons like summer, winter, fall, etc.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’ve always walked my own path in life. I keep a few very close friends near to me and never fit in with anyone “crowd.” I would “clique hop” in school and could get along with nearly anyone. I consider myself very creative with my artist skills but have always been diligent in school, being an honors student. These two balanced personality traits, I think, play very well into my skills as an entrepreneur.
Pricing:
- $20-35 per person for The Selfie Room
Contact Info:
- Email: erika@popbookings.com
- Website: theselfieroom.com and popbookings.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/theselfieroomstl & instagram.com/popbookings
- Facebook: facebook.com/theselfieroom & facebook.com/popbookings
