Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Leon.
Paul, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The vision for PL Creatives was actually created 10 years ago while living in Chicago out of desperation of wanting more! However, due to fear and rejection, I never moved forward with it. I wasn’t confident on how to be in my own lane, would people accept how targeted my vision was versus just being a party promoter.
So I sat on it for years. In 2014, I moved to Jefferson City, MO where I began to work as an Administrative Assistant in the Office of Student Engagement where I thought I’d ONLY be responding to emails and answering the phone. Quickly, I realized that my purpose for being there was to truly ignite the gift of curating creative events for talented individuals in this world.
Before I knew it, my supervisor at the time, now friend and mentor to this day, saw what I could do and instantly gave me the autonomy to plan and execute programs for our department. I resigned from there as a Program Manager where I advised student organizations, planned and executed annual homecomings and fests, organized leadership development workshops, and managed the full processes of the student union.
I Moved back to St. Louis in 2018 with a new position, working in the Higher Ed consulting fields and was relieved from that job 6 months later. I was devastated. Spent months looking for work and for something that would stick. After a year of trying to figure out bills and etc, a voice spoke to me and said “It’s time…just MOVE.” So, in November 2019, I processed all necessary paperwork to birth PL Creatives and we had our launch party on Mardi Gras Weekend in 2020. Two weeks later, the world shut down.
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?
It has not been a smooth road. We went into 2020 ready to rock and roll and we were punched in the gut by a global pandemic. We had venues lined up for our karaoke, open mics, live band day parties, artist showcases and etc and everything closed down. Venue owners went out of business, people were sick and no one could go anywhere or do anything. It took months before some restrictions lifted and we got our “big break” at Live! by Loews St. Louis.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’d like to refer to myself as “The Creative’s Creative”. We create events for creatives to expose their gifts and talents for the St. Louis Metropolitan area and eventually worldwide. All events will have some form of creativity attached to them primarily from the perspective of the performing arts but not limited to.
We add live painting elements, poetry, singing, dance, live musicals and etc. On the other end, we also create, plan and execute your most desired party, concert, or conference for you! Whether you just need strategic planning or the full service from top to bottom…we do it all! We work with experienced and qualified vendors in the area to bring your every need to life!
That’s what makes us different from just being a “party promoter” or “event management” company in St. Louis. We provide multiple tracks of services while still executing our own reoccurring events for the city.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I am very hopeful and positive that this industry will get to a place of consistency and trust again. Currently, we are battling gathering in small and large places due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it hits us very hard. It affects our attendance, endurance, and budgets.
However, it is teaching us new ways to gather and get the attention of our audiences virtually and with technology. We are excited to do things virtually for our city and plan to reach even more creatives in 2022 and beyond!
Pricing:
- 15 Min Tap In- Free
- Event Strategy Session- 1 Hr $100
Contact Info:
- Email: Paul@plcreatives.com
- Website: www.pl-creatives.com
- Instagram: @Plcreatives
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PL-Creatives-474469809996999/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCooc6ZQQ6vNQZtXloLsfhGg
Image Credits
Church Productions, Davis Digital Content, and MYK Photography
