Resiliency is rooted in remaining steadfast and true to who you are. I’ve really come into my own and feel grounded by knowing who I am. The confidence and calmness that radiates from just knowing and loving who you are is the key ingredient in resiliency.
Resilience has been described as the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events. Times are not easy now. How do we develop greater resilience to withstand the challenges that keep being thrown at us? In this interview series, we are talking to mental health experts, authors, resilience experts, coaches, and business leaders who can talk about how we can develop greater resilience to improve our lives.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Consoletti.
Founder & Principal of JJLA, Jeff Consoletti, is an Executive Producer, Production Manager, Creative Director and Logistics Expert with over twelve years of experience leading special event production and design, festival, concert and show production and promotion, and innovative multi-platform campaigns, activations and promotions for a variety of entertainment, corporate and non-profit brands. His firm has rapidly grown to be a nationally-recognized production company specializing in creating events known for their one-of-a-kind guest experiences that stand out in memorable and effective ways.
Can you share with us your most interesting story from your career? And can you tell us what those takeaways were from that situation?
Every day! My career is trademarked by things that are really big, really loud, really exciting and often leave me, the team, and people that are enjoying those moments, breathless.
When I first started JJLA in 2008, we immediately had the opportunity to produce a large scale music festival, which I felt I had the experience and tools to pull off successfully, but once we got started and I realized just the amount of vendors and staff and departments I needed to manage, on top of the tens of thousands of people that were coming to attend — just the magnitude of that moment and the responsibility it entailed, really stuck out to me and left me speechless.
I’ve been producing large-scale events for almost 20 years and my biggest takeaway from any situation is to simply appreciate and savor these moments. I get to do what I love every single day, but we move at such a fast pace that it’s easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle, so I’m constantly reminding myself to stop, catch my breath and just take it all in.
What do you think makes your company stand out in the industry?
We bring great energy and perspective to our client’s work. We take time to thoroughly understand our clients’ needs, immerse ourselves in projects, and always focus on creating the best possible experience for guests. One thing that I’ve always championed is ensuring an unmatched guest experience. Whether it’s a music festival, corporate event, trade show, gala or immersive theatrical event, the audience is always going to be different but we’re always striving for it to be an unforgettable experience.
This passion and acute attention to detail are why we’ve been so successful and why our clients keep coming back. It’s not just because they know we can create and produce any event on an impressive level, but because we’re going to sit down with them at the table and be a part of the dialogue from start to finish while ensuring the project stays on budget, our client’s vision comes to life, and the guest experience is as special as possible.
None of us are able to achieve success without help along the way, is there a particular person you’re grateful towards who helped you get to where you are?
I have so many influences in my life. I respond to the energy that’s around me and am inspired by little pieces of people that I meet along the way. I couldn’t even count how many people I’ve met throughout my life (possibly thousands), but I feel that each of those encounters, even brief ones, has left some sort of lasting impression on me.
I’m always learning from others, no matter what stage they are in their life or career — whether they’ve been incredibly successful or someone that’s brand new. I can just as easily learn something from an intern that changes my perspective or approach, as I can learn from a veteran who’s been in the business for decades.
But if I had to call out one major influence and someone who left a profound impression, it would be Melanie Pecos.
I started out in this industry at a small, boutique company helmed by Melanie. It’s been nearly 20 years, but I still vividly remember working with her and observing her approach to projects and rapport with clients and loved how she ran the firm. That environment was something I really responded to, and the experience certainly afforded me the foundational tools I needed to be successful once I ventured out on my own. So, hats off to Melanie, who I’m lucky to call a dear friend.
Okay, now we’re going to shift focus to the point of the interview resilience, how would you define resilience? And what are those characteristics of resilient people?
Resiliency is rooted in remaining steadfast and true to who you are. I’ve really come into my own and feel grounded by knowing who I am. The confidence and calmness that radiates from just knowing and loving who you are is the key ingredient in resiliency.
Now don’t get me wrong, I still have an intensity about me that comes from my drive, and my desire to push people around me to be their best. That intensity is what makes me feel like I’m doing my best work. But, the caveat to that is, this drive now comes from a place of knowledge and inspiration, and less from a place of fear. I can only credit that evolution as a result of being settled in who I am.
Thinking back on it, even a decade ago, I had such a different approach to high-stress scenarios and needed to problem solve on the spot. The job always got done, but the way that we got it done maybe wasn’t the most productive at the time, and I think remaining resilient and always wanting to work on myself and improve my communication has really helped transform the way I do business and run JJLA. A good experience starts at the top and I don’t take that responsibility lightly. So while I’m laser-focused on pushing the business forward and pushing my team out of their comfort zones, I always make sure it’s done in a collaborative way. So relinquishing complete control while trusting my team to perform at their best, again, comes from me simply being settled into who I am.
When you think of resilience, is there a certain person who comes to mind in your life and the industry and the world is there one person that embodies all of that,
My dad instilled in me hard work, kindness, focus, and willingness to take chances. My dad was in medical sales which translated to his own entrepreneurship and owning his own business. I witnessed what he did with his career and it has been hugely influential in mine. We are definitely different people and work in different industries; truthfully, I’m not sure my folks don’t fully even understand what I do (they probably just think I’m a party planner on steroids!). But there is a connection that stems from my upbringing and learning those principles and work ethic from my dad. I know they’re really proud of me.
Has there been a time when someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway?
Every day. Every day in my industry, people say, “I don’t think you can do that,” or “that’s not possible.” Fortunately for us, I tend to have an approach where I prefer to beg for forgiveness, rather than ask permission.
At JJLA, we like to bend the rules just a little bit. Not in a way that’s ever dangerous, but more in a way of pushing the limits to ensure it’s the best experience possible. We’re always taking into account elements like safety, time and budget, but I don’t like to take ‘no’ for an answer, so we will figure out a creative solution to anything.
My clients know that about us the most; for example, I’ll have a client ask if we can make it snow in the desert and I’ll say yes, and we’ll just figure out how to get it done!
Did you ever have a point in your life personally and professionally, that was your greatest setback? And how did you bounce back from that? And can you tell us about it?
It goes without saying, but the past year was unspeakably difficult for everyone, and it has been some of the most challenging times of my life. In previous years, JJLA was really fortunate and experienced year-over-year, double-digit growth with a surge workload. There were even talks of expanding the business to be a bi-coastal operation. And while I pride myself on being savvy and prepared for a rainy day, none of us were quite prepared for mass destruction.
I had a lot of sleepless nights. I had to make some really tough, painful decisions that just ate me up inside. To have to cut people’s hours back, to have to lay off entire departments at the company — especially coming off an incredible period of growth — was gut-wrenching. I had such a deep commitment to the people that have surrounded me at work, that it was just killing me to let them down to see clients and events disappear. I don’t want to ever go back to that.
As a man who counts his blessings, the pandemic ultimately led to a surge of growth and productivity for me personally and professionally. Despite all of those challenges and emotions, I do think that perseverance helped us weather the storm. I never stopped working — I never stopped working for myself or the business and created ways to stay top of mind for clients and stay in front of the industry. As difficult as that period was, we really came out on top and set ourselves up for even greater success.
Because of our resiliency, I feel like we bounced back and I almost can’t put into words how blessed I feel.
How have you cultivated resilience throughout your life? And did you have any experiences growing up that contributed to your resiliency?
It really boils down to just wanting to be my best. That desire is part of my DNA. I wish I could press pause on Jeff from time to time, but I am constantly pushing myself to evolve and making sure that translates into making life for those around me better, as well. That mentality has trademarked what I’ve done and how I prepare for what’s to come.
If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would it be?
I’m a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and have always worked to lend a voice to my peers within that community. I’m lucky that I have a loud voice and I’ve worked to establish myself within that community — a responsibility I don’t take lightly. If I have the resources to be able to provide and give someone else a megaphone, and I can be in the background to champion what’s happening, that gives me purpose.
A personal mission of mine is to see how I can elevate those voices in my community. We’ve created OUTLOUD, our own proprietary concert series that helps champion rising and established LGBTQ musical artists. In addition to providing a global platform for these artists and allies, we took that a step further and incorporated charities or philanthropic initiatives into this event series.
Actually, a lot of the events that we’ve produced over the years have had some sort of fundraising or charitable component, specifically within the LGBTQ+ community, but even more broadly, in nonprofits (like child services, health care). I can pretty assuredly and proudly say we’ve been responsible for raising nearly $100 million at our events.
Right now, I’m working more intimately with the black and brown communities in Los Angeles specifically around PRIDE to give those individuals who might not have otherwise celebrated pride, a place to do so. In turn, I have been learning so much more about the trans community and ways that we can be more supportive of our trans brothers and sisters.
I’m extremely proud to be a gay married man and to be a vocal figure in this community. I’ve never lost sight of that and it’s my life’s mission to keep finding ways to artistically and creatively support and elevate the LGBTQ+ community.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!