Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Mitchell Kahn.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
As a child, I was a total theatre kid, and that’s what I studied in college. From there, I moved to New York to pursue a career as a playwright, and like so many artists, I also began working in restaurants to make money. I eventually found myself working at the Soho House in New York as a server and then got into their events department. I went quickly from being an Events Captain to an Operational Manager. It was truly the greatest hands-on education in events that I could have asked for. I worked on everything from birthday parties to book launches and then the weddings for our members who wanted to get married there. Weddings really spoke to me, so I started to also do some on the side and truly couldn’t get enough. I LOVED working on events that were so meaningful to the client. Then gay marriage legalized, and everyone in the event industry was talking about all of the new opportunities that would be happening, so I pitched the idea of writing a book on the subject and landed a deal. Once GETTING GROOMED was published, I left Soho House to exclusively work on weddings. I began with Shiraz Events in New York, and they promoted me to a bi-coastal position, which is how I started to work on the West Coast. It was a great opportunity, but I soon realized it was time to open my own business. I launched Jason Mitchell Kahn & Co. as a bi-coastal planning company in 2017, and we’ve grown every year.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My biggest struggles have been learning how to run a business. I am still a creative at heart with a degree in theatre who just really loves the process more than anything. I am not wired like an entrepreneur, so stepping into those shoes was an effort for me. But I’ve learned and grown a lot, and now my biggest problem is having more work than we can produce in a year and learning to say no.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a wedding planner who specializes in theatrical, non-traditional weddings. I work for all kinds of people, but the majority of the weddings I have done are for members of the LGBTQ community, which I am also a part of. So many of my couples connect because they know I understand this can still be a very heteronormative industry, and they have me to help them navigate it.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The events we plan are huge collaborations, and building relationships with vendors you respect and are inspired by is so important. When your colleagues know you support them, it’s a reciprocal thing. While couples often start with a planner, some don’t, and I have been referred to clients by venues, florists, photographers, officiants, and just about every other category of vendor you can imagine. It’s important to have a good sense of who else is working in the field.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JasonMitchellKahn.com
- Instagram: @MrJasonMitchell
Image Credits
Callaway Gable
Karen Obrist
Clane Gessel
Ein Photography
