Today we’d like to introduce you to Trent Nusbaum.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has definitely not been easy.
When I left Iowa after college, I knew one person in Los Angeles. I took an Amtrak out here with a backpack, eight hundred bucks, and zero plan. Looking back, it sounds crazy—but at the time, I was fearless. That “fish out of water” feeling hit fast. I went from small-town comfort to navigating one of the toughest cities and most competitive industries in the country.
I was lucky to break into advertising as an assistant TV buyer at a big agency and learned a lot about hard work, pressure, and survival. Then the 2008 financial crisis hit, and I experienced layoffs for the first time. It was humbling—a wake-up call that nothing in the corporate world is guaranteed.
In my thirties, I completely switched gears and went to culinary school. I worked my way through restaurant kitchens and catering events all over LA, often riding the Metro with a heavy knife bag on my back. It was physically demanding and creatively rewarding, but I eventually realized it wasn’t sustainable long-term.
When I came back to marketing, I had to rebuild from scratch. I worked my way up, regained stability, and finally felt like I was in a good place—so I got married and had a kid. Then, right after returning from paternity leave, I was laid off from my agency job. I sent out hundreds of resumes, got almost no responses, and even had a job offer rescinded. That’s when I decided I was done relying on anyone else for stability.
I’d been dreaming of starting my own agency since 2018. Back when I was still cooking, I’d read business books on the bus or during slow nights on the line. I took courses, freelanced, and said yes to any work that came my way. Some clients were great; others wanted the world for five bucks. Once I committed fully, I had to learn it all—DBAs, LLCs, contracts, email automations, websites, you name it. Every step came with five more, each taking longer and costing more than expected.
But all of it—the leaps, the setbacks, the reinventions—led me to where I am now. Creating my own business and helping other small business owners grow has been the hardest, but most fulfilling, thing I’ve ever done in my career.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Event Vendor Marketing is a digital marketing agency. We specialize in helping event service businesses—like photo booth companies, DJs, caterers, florists, and other event pros—grow their bookings and revenue through SEO, Google Ads, and marketing automation.
In short, we help creative entrepreneurs get found online, generate consistent leads, and turn those leads into booked events. All my clients are small business owners who love what they do but don’t have the time or know-how to deal with things like Google Ads, websites, or CRM systems. That’s where Event Vendor Marketing comes in.
What really sets us apart is that I’ve been on both sides of the table. I spent years working in big advertising agencies running national campaigns for global brands—and I’ve also worked in kitchens, catering events, and even helped my mom in her florist business since I was a kid. So I understand both the high-level strategy and the grind of small business ownership. I don’t just sell “marketing services”—I build systems that help people run their businesses more efficiently, book more clients, and get their lives back.
Brand-wise, I’m proud that Event Vendor Marketing feels personal and trustworthy. There’s no “agency fluff” or empty jargon. No scammy online tactics or outlandish promises. It’s about helping real people—event professionals who pour their heart into what they do—compete online. I’ve built a system that takes the best of big-agency strategy and makes it accessible and affordable for small business owners.
At the end of the day, I want readers to know that this brand isn’t about quick wins or empty promises. It’s about long-term growth, sustainable success, and partnering with good people to build thriving businesses doing what they love.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you’re going to pay for everything one way or another — in time or in money. When you’re just starting out, you usually don’t have much money, so you try to do everything yourself. I get it. I did the same thing. But time is finite, and the more of it you waste trying to figure everything out alone, the more it actually costs you in the long run.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help — or pay for it when you can. Someone has probably already done what you’re trying to do, and sometimes the smartest move is to learn from them instead of reinventing the wheel.
That said, don’t be afraid to deviate and put your own spin on things either. You have to take risks, and risks come with failure. But that’s part of the process. Every mistake, every setback, every “what was I thinking?” moment is a lesson that gets you closer to what you’re meant to build.
If there’s one thing I wish I knew earlier, it’s that there’s no perfect plan. You just start where you are, do the best you can with what you have, and stay adaptable. The only real failure is not trying.
Pricing:
- Packages start at $1,550 a month.
- Our pricing and services scale up with your business as it grows.
- We offer results-driven pricing based purely on commission for those that qualify.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://eventvendormarketing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eventvendormarketing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EventVendorMarketing
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/event-vendor-marketing/
- Twitter: https://x.com/eventvendormark
Image Credits
Leslie Johnson
