Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim and Mandy Dickson Lillis.
Believe it or not, we met somewhere in the middle of the Tasman Sea! Working on a cruise ship was the perfect way to fall in love, with Tim playing piano and Mandy as the singer. It was so inspiring waking up in a different place every day, many of which we’d never heard of before. Our main job on the ship was performing Royal Caribbean shows, but it wasn’t long before our shared passions led to us to creating and performing our very own show on the seas.
After traveling and performing in over 25 countries, we got married and decided to settle down in one spot… or so we thought! We moved to LA with no job prospects or security, just faith and big dreams. We made LA our new home, but once again found ourselves on international tours. Tim has played for Britney Spears, Todd Glass, and Engelbert Humperdinck. Mandy toured Japan with Disney Concerts and toured internationally as a soloist with large orchestras. Even when we were doing separate projects, we were always rooting for each other.
Music has always been at the heart of our relationship, and we love making music as a team. Together we have made several albums (our newest comes out on March 8th: ‘Just Like a Woman’ by Mandy Dickson). We also created a band called Business Time Entertainment.
Business Time is such a special project for us. It’s more than a business: it’s a passion. When we play at weddings, it always reminds us of our wedding day. Whether it’s a wedding, a birthday party, a bar mitzvah, or a corporate event, we love helping people celebrate the big moments in life with music. Our band is like a family.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road, but we are really lucky that we have each other!
Moving to LA without any job prospects and starting multiple businesses from scratch was no easy task. When we first got here, we were living in a tiny one bedroom apartment where our music studio was essentially in the kitchen. We didn’t have much space or much money, but we were passionate about starting a life in this city where there are so many opportunities.
There were also times in our journey where we were half a world apart from each other for months at a time. Just trying to get on the phone when you’re 16 hours apart is difficult! Imagine trying to keep your relationship alive while navigating the ups and downs of the entertainment industry; one minute you’re on the best tour of your life, the next you’re unemployed! Meanwhile, we were also self-funding albums, auditioning members for our band, and trying to create opportunities instead of waiting for them.
One of the reasons our band Business Time is so important to us is that it gives us a way to create steadiness in our life doing what we love, all the while doing it together.
Please tell us about Business Time Entertainment.
We’re a cover band that specializes in Weddings and Events. We’re known for the infectious energy we bring onstage and our ability to play a HUGE variety of music (Anything from the past six decades…we’ve even played the Game of Thrones theme!)
I think the thing that sets us apart is why we do what we do. We chose to create this band because we were so inspired by the band that played at our wedding in Ohio! At every turn they were giving us more than we expected, and that was something we wanted to do for other people. We aim to establish a connection with each of our clients which allows us to create a personalized experience that speaks to who they are.
As a band, we LOVE playing together and it shows on stage. Not only are the band members world-class musicians, they’re our best friends. We’ve played together for years, which has allowed us to craft a sound and energy that’s all our own. It’s a dream job: we get to party with our old friends and our new friends in the audience!
We’re really proud that within a few years of being in business we’ve been given several awards (The Knot’s ‘Best of Weddings’ and Wedding Wire’s ‘Couples Choice Award’) and have earned over 100 five star reviews from our amazing clients!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Although technology and marketing are changing all the time, people will always want great entertainment at events, and that will never change. Over the past decade we’ve seen more people looking for live music for their events, which has been very exciting!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BusinessTimeEntertainment.com
- Phone: 818-906-4897
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @BusinessTimeEntertainment
- Facebook: facebook.com/businesstimeentertainment
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/business-time-entertainment-los-angeles
Image Credit:
All of the band photos and the photo of the two of us were taken by Even Keel Imagery.; Bride in the Air – Summer Rae Photography; Bride & Groom skipping into barn – Mi Belle Photographers; Bass Player crouching with bride & groom – Bohemia Photography; Bride with hands in the air – Laura Pedrino Photography; Groom in Blue – Sarah Ellefson Photography
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