Meet Jackie Gough | Goes by Jackie O – Event Producer & Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jackie Gough and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jackie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After nearly 15 years of working in different fields of the event industry, I realized I had done it all! When I was a teenager I worked my way through the culinary & hospitality industry. I was catering large events by the time I was 18. I was a DJ & entertainer in my early 20’s throwing dance parties, live music events & unique experiences. I moved into corporate events & weddings later on in my career & started working large contracts from time to time in festival & stage production.

Right before the pandemic I was starting to move into entrepreneurship and become a contractor and wedding planner for hire and then all of a sudden BOOM. The pandemic destroyed the event industry. It was really difficult and I had to really pivot and find a way to make my business work. So once things were safe again, I was catering small family in home events, backyard parties, planning micro-weddings & more.

I realized in that time how much everyone loved togetherness & being with the people they care for in celebration. Even during a time when we all had to be so far away from each other, the event industry found a way to survive through live streaming, virtual events & social distance gatherings. It was a wild experience to say the least.

Elevated Grazing & Events started out as a small charcuterie business that catered to small social gatherings. And now nearly 3 years later is a full service event production business, with a focus in weddings & small scale catering.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Well, I run a full service event production company called Elevated Grazing & Events. It started out with just me and now I have a decent staff of chefs, wedding pros, DJ’s, photographers & more that pick up work with me when it’s available. I love involving my friends & community in what I do. I’d like to say that my business is entirely LGBTQIA+ owned & operated 🙂

We handle everything from wedding planning & coordinating, engagements, bachelorette parties, holiday parties, catering, private dinners & more. I can provide bar & service staff & find help in all aspects of events including live entertainment, DJ’s, photographers/videographers & even venues!

It definitely takes some time to build up a reputation in all of these areas and its definitely not easy wearing this many hats, but I find it exciting being able to be so versatile in my work & I get to do it all up and down the coast of Southern California. I’ve worked in Malibu, Hollywood, Palm Springs (personal favorite) San Diego & all throughout Orange County building relationships with new clients.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hi! I’m queer 🙂 and Hillcrest is my 2nd home. I love my community and nothing makes me happier than catching up with my friends for a drink during my downtime. I’ve been known to also work from the bar time to time. I frequent all of the places including Gossip Grill, Barrel & Board (you know i love a good charcuterie haha) uptown tavern & more! My community has been a huge support to me as well.

If I’m not there I’m probably chillin by the beach somewhere. Ocean beach is such a vibe and experience every time I go. I love OB noodle house, wonderland ocean pub & sunset cliffs in the morning when I’m having my coffee. OB is the place to go to heal, laugh, love & wind down. You can find some really cool antique stores too on and around Newport ave. Check out the farmers market on Wednesdays & hit up the Goi Con food truck for the best spring rolls you will ever have in your life.

Lastly, I loveeee the community of Barrio Logan & Logan Heights. My primary office is located on Commercial Street & I currently also manage a set of venues there. Go check out 1835 studios, it’s a great community space with a coffee shop, rotating food trucks, art, shops & more. Hit up chicano park for some incredible history on the neighborhood. If you make it down to the area on Wednesdays you can hit up La Vuelta for a car show and some cool street artists & tacos. If you need some coffee, hit up mixed grounds on imperial. Great staff & also a cool art venue in the back that hosts weekly events. I’ve never had a bad time there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is no amount of support like the support of other entrepreneurs when you are new to starting a business or venturing out on your own. It can be incredibly terrifying & uncertain. So I very much appreciate the network of people I have connected with over the years that have guided me & supported me in all aspects of what I do. During the pandemic, when we were all in lockdown, I began working for a company called EventHI. It is a ticketing and sponsorship platform, providing event hosts with a compliant technology to easily publish, promote & sell tickets for cannabis related events. I met Adelia & Ali (CEO & CMO) at a cannabis conference in 2019. Their drive and ambition for the company and community was unlike anything I had ever experienced. They have been my number one supporters from day 1 & continue to be great friends and mentors til this day. Please go visit www.eventhi.io if you are interested in learning more about the cannabis event community and what Adelia & Ali do.

Website: www.elevatedgrazing.com

Instagram: elevatedgrazingevents & jackiejackieo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiejackieo/

Image Credits
Ashley Marie Media Jessica Franz Photography Malia Jordan Photography One Apparatus Photos