Interview of Channing Moreland, November 11th, 2020

Channing Moreland Interview, November 11th, 2020.

Jacob: Thanks so much channing for being with me. Channing: Thanks so much for having me. Ok.  So, yes my name is Channing Moreland, and I co-founded a company called EVA. We are based in Nashville, and my business partner and I Makenzie, we actually built this company originally while we were in college at Belmont University. And, we have been able to go full time and we have been building this business over the past few years. So what eva does, we are an online platform that automates the entertainment and experiences for in person events, and now hybrid and virtual events. Interesting year to say the least, but it's been fun to find a new opportunities, in it as well. So, happy to be here with you Jacob. Jacob: Thanks so much for agreeing to do the interview. I have a few questions for you. What part of your personal background led you to this position that you have found yourself in. Channing: Hmm.  I think for me, I always was performing and playing music, I think a lot of students that go to college at Belmont for music, tend to have a similar path. With that, and I did that, and played classical violin, and I was in the Jazz band, and the orchestra, and all those groups, because that is what I had access to. But when I really look back, what I loved the most was almost like producing an experience and it wasn't even music production, it was really just being around people and playing to their strengths, and finding solutions, and so when it makes more sense to me now with being back that when Makenzie and I we really aligned in work ethic, and passion for the industry and just our love for live music that when when we saw problems in this process, then we really wanted to make it better. It makes sense to me that we together were like let's find a way to orchestrate something that could be a better solution. So, at first I was very confused why I was the one the one doing it, but looking back I think I can see trends and it makes more sense with that. Jacob: That's awesome and such a good story too. How it all came to be. So another question that I have is, what experiences shaped you most as a leader? What have you found to be a turning point? What ground your gears? Channing: Wow, well there's many for sure. That I totally fallen on my butt, and had to figure it out the hard way like so many do. That's life I guess, but I'd say the big one is really um it was march of this year, in April, we had just done our best month yet in revenue, and we literally went to zero dollars like that. And, I had to really pause all personal emotions in it, because we have a team and a business to take care of, and ensure that they were paid and I had so many people forget say that on march 13th call me and tell me that You should probably fire everyone. Or let them go or furlow them.. and I was just like What is going on? And that was never an option to me. And I think because I put the team first in that moment, there wasn't an option to fold or close. I had to in a way choose to protect them and so I think that was a really great experience for me to learn that when you come together and you are real about it with your team, and you're honest but you don't let it get you down, and you show them that you're going to show up every single day and try, I think it gives them the confidence and communication of resilience that they need. Umm so I hope that answers the question of leadership but I really feel like that I started to experience it most. Jacob: Yes, I was right there with there through some of that. Channing: Yes I was thinking about you talking about it. Jacob: It definitely was an interesting time. New for everybody and that leads me into another question. How has Covid and the live entertainment industry change the way you lead your company? Channing: With Covid, umm it I see many silver linings of it. In that it and that was something I was greatfull for makenzie's leadership on. We were sitting outside of the office. And I know you were there for many which was so fun. We were sitting out there together, and she was like, I don't want to do it the same way, I mean there were things we didn't like about how it was forced upon us, some of the industry was willing to do- I don't wanna do it that way -- so you know what me neither. So that was such a powerful moment to say like because of this, we can change and we can re enter the market in a new way, and that caused us to, we had so many flops before hand with people having issues of changing their habits, to technology, geographically growing in new markets, and we have to just say no we aren't doing it that way, we are doing it in a new way. So I think that really helped us be enlightend in that time. Umm then covid really in our industry, we saw it as an opportunity. Jacob: I think that you are absolutely right. It has to be looked at as an opportunity, because if you don't, you don't want to be in that place. That's a tough spot to be in. Channing: Yeah, dangerous place to be in. Jacob: I couldn't even imagine, and I'm looking at more of these questions. Let me see. Channing: I love it. Awesome. Fun stuff. Jacob: Let's see. What one will I go with next. Do you feel like it is important to delegate, if so, why and how would you go about it. Channing: Hmm. I learned that probably that one of the most important things in order to grow. When you  hear all of those.. this is how to lead well things.. When you first think really? You think you can do it all yourself.. Isn't it easier if I just do it cuz then no, and I think that like why is delegation, it's basically like multiplying the output. Compounding the output. And it's absolutely necessary in order to grow. And how I do it, I try to, and I hope I do this well, but I try to empower the person that I am delegating. And, there's a lot of leadership styles on this but, I I set them up extremely well. I'm thinking of Lennon, on our team you know. She is overseeing some sales, and account management, so not only am I trying to get not only am I trying to have her learn how to sell well, but I am also trying to have her learn to efficiently move this event forward, and so what I do on the back end and we can now streamline a lot of this, I put all the details for me to know in hubspot. I tag her her I say I am going to pass this off to you, but I am here on the sidelines to answer any questions offline. So she gets to look like the hero to the client always bringing the answers, but I am here if she needs. The hope is that when you delegate a task they haven't done before, hopefully if you've done it right, because it's your fault if they didn't then the next time they won't have to come ask the same question. It would be a new one. So compounding the growth. So, that's how I like to delegate. Set them up for success, let them deliver the win, and then they are empowered to go and do it themselves afterwards so I won't have to delegate it again. Jacob: I love the way you put that. It's like a multi-step process where it's kinda similar to saying you are talking to someone, you are trying to almost get what you want, you kinda have to have them or when you're dealing with a songwriter.. You kinda have to have it be their idea. You know what I mean. Channing: Yes, exactly that. Jacob: It's all about that empowerment. Giving them the power to do better. That kinda goes into another question. You mention your leadership style, and my question would be how would you characterize your own leadership style? Channing? Mmm I love these questions man. These are great. Ummm something that I feel like I really resonated with, that it spoke my mind on how I didn't even know that's how I felt until I heard it kinda thing. Ummm I feel like I don't resonate with no offense to them like older white men CEO approach, like back in the 80s or 90s, where it was a very like.. Strict style.. people were scared, people didn't feel like they could share their opinions fully. I feel like where is the creativity and growth opportunity there. I heard Rene Brown say it best. It was like, lead with compassion, lead with courage, and lead with love. And, yeah there's probably times that people would not agree with my style, but they think it's too much of that, because I try to lean into the people that I'm working with, because if they are spending time on ideas that I came up with, good god I better you know care about them and ensure that they're ok because they are putting time into something that is mine. So I really want to always think of them first. And, umm care about them honestly, maybe more than what's typically accepted, or should be. And people told me that you'll get hurt. You'll get burned. I never see that, that way. So, if you don't, if your perspective isn't that you will get hurt or burned, then that is going to be an experience to learn. What do you have to lose. That has definitely been more my style than to lead with fear. Jacob: I love that outlook. It's like no negativeity mindset. You don't let things get to you, where is the problem really. I honestly try to feel that way a lot of times You know, it's a lot has to do with the mindset and your outlook. I think especially in this business, a leadership position that this perspective is everything. So that kinda goes into another one of my questions-- Where did it go-- Channing: All good! Jacob: ok.. So, this kinda goes along with the issues that we dealt with the company this past year.. How do you measure the success that you've made, and how do you learn from the failures that happened? Channing: Hmmm. Nice.  Well it is a We, you are absolutely apart of that, and the story, umm the I mean man. You saw us flounder. For sure.. I think I'll start with the failures. Uhh it really felt like April through June, march through June it was kinda just like uhh like we were throwing everything at the wall as you know. We were going down the route of do we do our own virtual platform? And we get this grand idea, okay we're gonna maybe try that, and then luckily we have more conversations about it, that's a terrible idea, scratch that, that's a fail.. no. And, I think with us, it's as simple as stating it, you know, okay that's not gonna work.. cool .. no hard feelings, and there's no bad ideas. Because we are having to come up with new stuff anyway, so there's gonna be one that works, and I think for us, it was really just honing in on what worked, in that consistent communication with each other. I know it can be annoying at times, but I knew I was a diehard on the daily conversation, just because I wanted people to feel like consistency, even if there was a fail, we'd be there tomorrow. It's okay. Ummm with the successes, I we have you know certain things that everyone is accountable to reach or hit, and we don't drive them based on win or loss, we base it it right now on did you do it? And that's a win. That's a success. Because, we need consistency back to that. And, I think the biggest success that I look at that this is working you know we had no revenue when all of our business was gone, and now, the best month we are now back to that number in October. You see doubling each month, so I see that as a success, and we consistently saw it growing umm and I like that revenue success I guess. Haha Jacob: Absoluely! So, umm what are 2 or 3 actions that you believe are essential to enable others to be successful in your company? Channing: hmm. When they're starting out? Or kinda open ended? Jacob: I guess just more open ended.. things that you're I guess essentially.. like tools almost like to ensure confidence and employee moral? Channing: hmm okay. I would say-- it's something that I am working on, but I am trying to be much better at, because I believe it all so much success, power and potential is when you say it, do it. And when you ask for consistency, keep it. Keep it going. Because I think a big in a leadership mindset is that a team needs like.. you need to be held to the highest standard. And that's hard sometimes. It's like, and I don't mean this in a bad way, but if my team jumps 10, I have to jump 15. I just have to. You have to be there for them, and they have to feel supported. Maybe you're jumping under them, and but you have to jump higher umm to show them that they can go higher too. And we're not done yet. Its okay if I fall, I have to try to jump that high. So I think think keeping that consistency, doing what I say is like more important than ever. Umm and the littlest things like we have outreaches that we have to hit every single day, because we are focus on sales outbound right now, and I've got to make sure I do them. And theres sometimes I don't get there.. but you better be sure you get there the next day and we talk about it so.. just that consistency measured as a leader ummm-- definitely back to like in my opinion, leading with compassion is.. you're gonna have a team that trusts you, they will do everything for you and your company, umm and you have this like cycle of trust and success together umm.. the third one, mhmmm-- .. man. Jacob: Or like any like other actionable things like you might do every day that you may not even think about at this point. Channing: mmmm. Ummm, Jacob: Things that keep the team grooving.. Channing: I think umm, it's really good to have that creativity always there, like we really I don't think we try and do this, but naturally we have like a creative conversation going along side all of the expectations, like I just saw on slack someone sent an idea.. Like hey just throwing this out there, think this could be really cool if we worked on this.. totally different angle, I love that that's an open channel on slack, to just throw your ideas out, then you know you are going to be appreciated for it. You are never going to be shot down. Were gonna think about it and really discuss it, so I think having that trust to have creativity and going consistently, its not like an active daily metric, but.. Jacob: That's alright. Channing: Ok! Jacob: Cool, so this is a heavy question.. Take it as you will.. Umm What do you want your legacy to be? Channing: ooooh! Okayyy. My legacy--. Jacob: aspirational outlooks, things for the company, things for the future and beyond.. things you are aspiring to work towards, or any advice.. Channing: yes.. ummm. Okay. I'm gonna try to not make this political, but this is just the truth, so. Jacob: Go for it. Channing: Ummm, You know in the past year, it's really just with everything going on in our world, especially after George Floyd, I know that it should have been much more on my mind before that, and I see that, umm but that experience and particular just in just feeling like our country was not connected. And, I expected and wanted and needed so much more. Umm from that I had a simple to me a profound realization that I was like, noones going to do it for me. I have to go and truly be the change I wish to see. And, That's a big statement if you can't do what you think that means, but I umm I started getting much more involved in the community on a diverse focus level. So started getting engaged in different parts of the community that normally I wouldn't you know naturally be in, and I started thinking about those hard questions with the company, all the way to our community, and then, you know with everything with the election, and just and seeing the continued reasoning of you have to be that change, so it can compound umm sorry I haven't ever said this, so it's very-- but I think when it comes to legacy-- what matters to me is that everyone felt heard. Everyone felt seen, and it was a place for everyone and I feel very passionate about making Nashville better.. That's something the community is a very important one to me. We can do so much better, it's great but it can be so much better.. and so I really focus on a legacy of trying to make an impact here, something I understand, I get.. I can see the people here so I really hope that a legacy can involve the greater community. Umm, but when it comes to EVA, all of those things reside. I want everyone seen, heard, understood and felt.  Jacob: That's a beautiful way of saying that. I wanted to tell you if nobody else does, that you're doing it, you're making a legacy.. Channing: Gurll-- Jacob: You're making it happen, people see it, and people look up to you, and more than you know.  Channing: Thank you. Jacob: And they are constantly impressed by the company and the things that you have done, and I just have to say hats off to you. Channing: Aw.., thank you. That is so so sweet. It means the world because umm you, I feel like saw me in a very in probably one of my most vulnerable states. Were those months.. And not feeling like I was doing a good job at all, so I really appreciate you being so so kind to say that, that's very nice.  Jacob: Of course. Yeah absolutely you deserve it. So that pretty much wraps up what I have for questions. Channing: Ok! Jacob: As far as time restraints go, I just wanted to thank you one more time. Umm for being willing to do this with me, and answer some of the questions that I had. So thank you. Channing: Always. Thank you for having me! Jacob: Of course.. I will talk to you soon. Channing: Ok! Jacob: I am going to stop recording.. Thank you.