Today we’d like to introduce you to JP Morgan
Hi JP, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a college student with a knack for dealing with people and problem-solving, but still uncertain about which degree to choose during the 2008 economic collapse, I stumbled into an event industry job with City Kitchen, one of the city’s leading caterers. My experience their led me to acquire a degree in Global Hospitality Leadership from the University of Houston. Before long, I realized this industry gave me what I needed to be excited about work each day. My analytical side loved that each day was different. Every day, was a new challenge, the setting up and executing some of the most significant events in the city. Simultaneously, the extrovert in me loved that each day meant dozens of new people to collaborate with. Before graduation, I was leading teams of up to 100 team members and on a first-name basis with many notable Houstonians.
After graduation, I was honored to be chosen for the Pappas Fast Track Manager program. However, I quickly realized that my interest was uniquely for events, not restaurants, but I took away a valuable lesson: with the right processes any applicant can be made into the model team member.
After nearly a decade of late nights and with marriage on the horizon, I knew it was time for a change. I was honored to spend two years overseeing the Houston launch of a nationwide private aviation service company, and developed quite a love of aircraft in the process. Then, another five years leading a design-build service company in the multifamily arena. While different from events, these roles still allowed me to do what I love: problem-solve and interact with new people. However, during this period, I acquired a love of business analytics, scaling, and process implementation. Never had I used the term “trending” so often, and I myself was trending towards a unforeseen pivot.
In 2019, one of my childhood friends passed away. It was an instant reminder that time isn’t promised to us, and it was time to pursue my lifelong goal of being a business owner. I had a few ideas but couldn’t give them proper time while working 60 hours a week. So, in November of 2019, with a strong economy and no idea of the pending chaos of 2020, I quit my job, allowing myself six months to figure out a plan. During December 2019, I was back helping City Kitchen with their busy season; in an effort to add a few dollars to the “what business are we going to start, and what if I never find another job” fund and I was shocked to see that the staffing situation in the city had a unique window that I might be able to capatilze on. So, with a newfound love of processes, and having always been someone who could connect with people, I realized this was the business for us to start.
In January 2020 we filed our LLC and, a few weeks later, had our first client. As Covid hit, it brought all event businesses to a complete standstill. We were blessed to have plenty of money saved to weather the storm, and we used the downtime to prepare systems and processes for the reopening we hoped would happen. During that time, I was glued to the TV, looking for any sign things might return to normal. As someone who needs to be around people and stay busy, the isolation of COVID was tough for me. For nearly two years, we endured events in masks, events requiring on-site COVID testing, and everything in between. However, it has all paid off, as we have grown from $40,000 in sales in 2020 to over 1,000,000 in 2023; all while helping nearly 300 people find work and being part of events I never thought possible. Now, we are blessed to pay roughly 120 people every two weeks while fostering a culture led and primarily enforced by college students. We preach a culture of being the best at what we do, and the team has tremendous buy-in.
As someone who once did this type of work myself, there’s something nostalgic about hearing of team members buying their parents their first “quality” birthday/ holiday present with the money they have earned; or watching them buy their first car. Likewise, watching people grow into their leadership abilities and overcoming their fears of being accountable for a team’s success.
Truly, it is impossible for me to not see myself in each and every team member. Thus, I genuinely feel like I have such an extraordinary job. I get to help hard working people earn money, while growing a loyal client base, all while being accessible to nearly 180 team members who need a little “extra” help occasionally. Whether it be a new pair of work shoes or helping a team member who had their car broken into, I feel honored to be that “unexpected help” that they didn’t see coming.
For me, I honestly believe the best part of leading a team is what I call the “sphere of influence.” In other words, the more people that are on the team, the more people we can “touch.” I’m not extremely religious, but I do believe in God and that he/she puts you in the right place to make a difference with the resources you have. So, my wife and I always jump at an opportunity to share our resources and help a team member in need. For me, I always remind them that’s its my turn to help now, but one day it will be their turn; and do their part when they are in position to do so. Overall, our hope is that people look back on their time with Tux as not just a job, but as a place where they grew as a person; and our job is to create a culture that allows them to do so.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, COVID was quite a problem. However, aside from COVID, scaling at our current rate has been difficult. In order to scale, you have to pass responsibility. To pass responsibility, you have to create expectations. To create expectations, you have to develop training programs and processes. As a small business owner, it takes a long time before you can “afford” to assign those projects to someone else. So, for the first three years, my time was always spent handling the day-to-day, plus preparing for the future. This leads to few days off and many late nights.
We’ve been impressed with Tuxedo Event Services , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Tuxedo Event Services is proud to be a family-owned small business creating jobs and experiences in our wonderful hometown of Houston, Texas. Founded by JP and Ashley Morgan, a husband and wife duo who met working in Houston’s event scene, we truly believe that we can make events easier.
As a turnkey event producer, our team assists clients in making budget-focused decisions without sacrificing the desired outcomes of the event. From full-service planning of significant events to hand-selected staff members to help in private residences, our team cares about the cleint experience. We use our network of business owners in the industry to pivot to all price points and facilitate the needs of any occasion while still meeting the highest industry standards.
As one of Houston’s premiere hospitality staffing vendors, we are honored to enjoy a full event schedule ranging from the city’s most notable galas and sporting events, to even running one of the largest rodeo cookoff tents, and everything in between. We even send our managers to clients’ homes who may just need 1 or 2 people to help with kid’s parties, pool parties, birthday parties, and any other reason you may need a skilled set of extra hands in your home.
For us, because we operate as both the planner and as a vendor; it truly gives us a unique pulse of the events in the city.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Given that I have lived in Houston for 38 years, and it is the only city I have ever lived in, I love the culture of this city. By culture I mean that we open doors for strangers. We say hello to people we’ve never met. We jump at the chance to welcome those from out of town, especially if they need to know where to find some good food. Also, I love its diversity. As a young person, you associate diversity with “the way people look,” but as you age, you see it as how their culture influences the community around you. The city’s diversity of cuisines and events is primarily where I see this in my life.
As an event person, it’s always neat to see the way the different cultures are highlighted in the various galas through the year.
I can’t think of many things I don’t like about our city 🙂 – but I wish they would bring back AstroWorld 🙂
Pricing:
- $30/ hour for commercial clients
- $40/hour for residential clients
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tuxedoeventservices.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tuxedoeventservices/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tuxhouston
Image Credits
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