We had the good fortune of connecting with Lilian Hsyu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lilian, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance is a constant juggling act. I am a mom to an 8 year old and a 4 year old, and learning to be a small business owner and a mom of young children has been a steep learning curve. I am still constantly feeling challenged and stretched thin. The events industry is one where many businesses experience waves of feast and famine – sometimes we’re explosively busy and sometimes it’s crickets. I think that getting to a place where I realize I cannot excel in all areas of life at any given point in time and being OK with that is key to striking a balance. Understanding that sometimes I’m going to have to sacrifice being a great parent temporarily so I can put my head down and focus on a really important work project then makes me more present and all-in as a parent when I have those lulls in work. Having an amazing spouse and teammate is also crucial to my ability to keep up the juggling act.

What should our readers know about your business?
JM Events Co. is a minority-owned, woman-owned, women-powered team of event professionals who are dedicated to creating meaningful, engaging events and experiences for our clients and audiences.

Together, our team has nearly 50 combined years of experience in Event Planning and Production, Venue and Catering Management, Arts Leadership, Hospitality, Marketing, and more.

Our team’s resourcefulness, creativity, and passion for our work is evident in every event we produce, from intimate gatherings to large-scale productions. clients can trust that their events will be executed with the highest level of attention to detail in alignment with their brand values and vision.

As an AAPI-owned business with a diverse roster of talent, we prioritize collaboration with vendors and other businesses that value diversity and inclusion. We strive to support and engage local small businesses wherever possible, and we gravitate towards events that celebrate cultural diversity and amplify underrepresented voices.

We launched our live heat pressing services recently, and we’d love the opportunity to share this unique event activation with everyone! The experience allows event attendees to design their own swag – picking from fun designs to customizing tees, sweatshirts, totes, hats, and more – our team presses everything into place live and guests get to take their unique custom swag home. It’s been such a hit at all types of events, from birthday parties and fundraisers to corporate events and conferences/conventions. We invite everyone to check out our Instagram account for videos of the fun, engaging experience at recent events.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I was born and raised in the SGV, and still a proud resident and small biz owner in the SGV. We are so spoiled by all the amazing food and cuisines available to us locally. Honestly, I think food is the best way to experience a new place.

We’d have to hit up a different boba spot every day – my favorites are Sunright Tea, Oops Tea & Coffee, and CHICHA San Chen.

Not everyone loves boba, so we’d balance out with some great coffee spots too – Fika Fika and Smoking Tiger know what they’re doing.

Noodles are king. Corner Beef Noodle House in El Monte has the best beef noodle soup. Tsujita LA in San Gabriel has my favorite tsukemen (dipping ramen).

My fam and I have been addicted to claw machine arcades lately – it’s so fun for kids and adults alike. Our favorite is Infinity Claws in Rowland Heights.

If the weather is right, we’d make our way outside of the SGV and head to the beach – we like Redondo Beach and sometimes we’ll go further south to Laguna Beach and even San Diego for even clearer waters.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to shoutout my spouse! His belief in my vision for my small business gave me the courage to leave my full-time corporate job and jump in to becoming an entrepreneur, and his unwavering support has allowed me to overcome challenges (including the pandemic) and continue growing the business while growing our family.

Website: https://www.jmeventsco.com/

Instagram: thejmeco

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejmeco

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jm-events-co-san-gabriel

Image Credits
Blue Soul Photo
Danny & Kassie
Jennifer Fujikawa Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.