Episode Seven

Kenetia (00:02.117) Welcome to Celebrate and Chill. Jazmene, it is so good to have you here with us today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to our audience? 

Jazmene (00:07.117) Thank you. Thank you, Kenetia. Thank you for having me today. I am Jazmene Thomas, better known as Jazz. I am CEO and lead planner of J-Moton Event Elements. We’re a Los Angeles-based wedding and event planning company servicing all types of events, from weddings to corporate destinations. So I’m happy to be here today. 

Kenetia (00:31.417) I love it. Thank you so much for joining us again. And just to start us off, I would love to hear your story. I’d love to hear how did you wind up getting into the events industry? What was your start? 

Jazmene (00:44.472) Right, so I established J-Moton Event Elements about five years ago—excuse me, six years ago—and I had informally planned parties and special events for family and friends. Naturally, I’ve always been the planner in my family. I remember planning family trips when I was a child and taking care of all the travel arrangements, hotel accommodations, and activities. 

Kenetia (01:13.511) Wow. 

Jazmene (01:14.482) Right. That was a lot of responsibility. My parents were like, “She’s got it. She’s got it.” But, right. And professionally, I was, or I am, a licensed funeral director, and I was for 16 years with the City of Santa Monica. And I absolutely loved the connection that I had with families. I loved the importance that I had in a very serious time in their lives, you know, losing someone. 

Kenetia (01:19.729) I love it. 

Jazmene (01:44.43) You have a one-time shot to plan a funeral. Same thing like a wedding, right? So I was there during COVID, during, you know, having to get FEMA trailers and having nonstop calls 24/7. And it became a lot. Establishing my business gave me an outlet to bring people together on a more joyous occasion because we all know funerals became like reunions, right? And to tap into my skill of planning and putting all the logistics and all the details together. I tapped into that to be able to make it easier for people to gather and not shy away from planning a party or wedding because it’s too overwhelming. 

So I established the business six years ago. And in all honesty, probably like the last year and a half, I really took it seriously because I was always like, “I’ll go work here,” and “I’ll go…”—like, I managed a venue. I freelanced and I did other things for other people, and it was a distraction from what I really needed to do, and that was to focus on my business. So that brings us here, six years later. 

Kenetia (02:54.258) I love that. Yeah, excellent. Six years. I know, doesn’t time just fly by? It really does. I’m like, “Wait, what?” Exactly, exactly. You know, I never really put that together, but what you said is very profound to me. And so I just want to repeat it, and then if you want to expand on that a little bit: you said funerals are like reunions. 

Jazmene (03:02.572) I’m glad that you’re having fun. Yes. 

Kenetia (03:24.665) And really, you know what, that is such a life event, right? In my head, I always say this, whether it’s good or bad or indifferent, but I always say that funerals or passing is really about the living. It’s not necessarily about those who have left us as much as it is about the living and reminding us of how to live. You know what I’m saying? Like, it reminds us like, yeah, there isn’t a lot of time here. 

Jazmene (03:56.436) Right. 

Kenetia (04:02.033) That’s a very interesting step into this industry. I’ve been known to think of this industry as very small, but also very big, right? It’s almost like you have 20 siblings or what have you, but then you start to look at all of the different people that are in the family. It’s big, but it’s also very small. So that’s my experience in events. 

Jazmene (04:26.936) Okay.

Kenetia (04:31.067) I’d love to know, since you’ve started taking your business seriously—and congratulations to you because I know that’s a leap of faith—what was it in your head, or did someone say something to you that made you say, “You know what? No, I’ve got to focus”? Or was there anything in particular that you could recount? 

Jazmene (04:55.918) So many things, right? So depending on whatever your belief is or your religious background, you’ll get these messages along your journey. And like I said, growing up, that was just my personality to be the planner, to bring people together, to take care of it all. But as I got older and I was in my profession as a funeral director, there was—in going through COVID—I had two really close people to me pass away. And I always said when that became no longer fun, I needed to do something else. And I kept trying to stay there, kept trying to stay there and force myself. And I just had to come to the realization that I had to step away from the nine-to-five and focus on the business. 

But in focusing on the business, I soon got an opportunity to manage a venue and met these amazing owners that trusted me with… your business is your baby. And for them to trust me with their baby was huge. They had so many years of business experience, and being mentored by them and working so closely with them opened my eyes to what the possibility of my business could be. And so along the way, I’m getting those confirmations like, “Jazmene, you’ve got this.” You have the skills. When I get with clients, we become like family. And I learned that in my experience with the funeral industry. Like, we connect on a different level because the event, the wedding, is not just that. It has an emotional tie, right? There’s an emotion that you want to portray or convey to your guests. And in order for us to be able to understand that—me, myself, the planner, and the client—we have to connect on an emotional level. 

And so that has been sort of my strength: leading with the emotion, with the connection, and trusting my instinct. Managing the venue was a great experience. And then branching out of weddings—like, I love weddings, that’s where my heart is—but I also know that there’s a larger world. So earlier this year, we became an official supplier of LASCC. So with all these events coming into the city—FIFA, the Super Bowl, All-Star weekend, and all those things—it puts us in positions to be in rooms with corporate partners that will need our services and that I can learn from and grow with. So I’m just constantly embracing my role as an entrepreneur, as a creative, and as a woman. I think a lot of times we kind of like, “Oh, let me just play it cool. Let me just be shy.” No, I am coming through. 

I think when we met at that Fed event back in February, I was so scared. I was like, “I hate networking,” but my mentor said, “Get out there,” so I’m here. And I was sitting on the couch and you were there with one of your associates and we were just chatting, and there were so many people. And after I left that event, I was like, “I am never again going to say I don’t like networking, because nobody wants to hear that.” It’s all out of our comfort zone to go out and be around a bunch of new people. So after that moment, I stopped saying that. And I actually love networking. I get new outfits and get my hair done. It’s a wonderful thing because it’s a way to connect with other entrepreneurs and creatives that are experiencing the same ebbs and flows of the business. 

Kenetia (08:20.371) That’s right. Absolutely. 

Jazmene (08:44.6) Client experience and all of those things. And it’s just a great community of event professionals that I’ve surrounded myself with, and I embrace it. So it’s a huge change from last year. 

Kenetia (08:56.307) Love that. Okay, awesome. Okay, so I’m going to switch a little bit, because I would love to know—because you have a lot of experience, right? With all of your background experience and then now leading into corporate as well as government types of events, you bring a wealth of experience. So, can you tell us, like, what do you want from a client? And maybe what do you not want in a client when you’re going through your event production process? You know what I mean? Like, what is it that you’re looking for? Because I think that also feeds you. It’s more than just money at the end of the day. 

Jazmene (09:44.438) The main thing is the ability to build a relationship, right? Because building a relationship will build the trust, and building trust is what’s needed for the client to know, “Jazz has it covered.” She can manage all of this. She knows what she’s doing. And we can only get there if we’re able to build that relationship and build that trust. 

And transparency. Because one of the things that I’ve found more recently is, you know, this internet has everyone thinking that they can do everything. And so I’ve had situations where I’ve had to tell clients to slow it down, scale it back, because they’re just so anxious to book and to do and to do. And they don’t realize if you secure a vendor, there are a lot of other details that you need to know. Are they insured? What do they need for setup? How much staff are they providing for the setup? Is it going to fit within our timeline? Like all of those things. You can just jump the gun because you see a pretty picture on Instagram and like, “That’s my vendor.” 

So a lot of that—a lot of working against the social media presence and bringing them down to reality—is a lot of what we do. But at the same time, it goes back to us building that relationship, building that trust, and them knowing that I am their resource, right? Not running to Instagram for the answer. It’s like, “Call Jazz, shoot her a text,” and I’m here for you, right? And we’re able to build that because on the day of your event, you’re going to look to me for the answers, for the support. And we can’t just show up on that day and like, “Okay, we’re here to make the event happen.” No, no. 

So I need transparency, openness, and some of the things that just don’t mesh with us is just the personality. For myself, I am more on the calmer side. I am intense when it comes to the excitement of the event and putting the pieces together and all the logistics. I love that. But when it comes to personalities and dealing with conflict, I’m not going to get nasty with you. I don’t curse. I don’t operate that way with my clients or with the vendors. So when it comes to client communication with me and other vendors, they have to mirror that. We can’t be “hell on wheels” and be the Bridezilla. People always ask, “Have you had a Bridezilla?” No, because that’s not the energy that I’m giving. It’s reciprocal. This is a people business, and it’s not just about the money. 

Kenetia (12:36.285) I love that. You are so spot on. Coming from the world of event cleanup, right? I always say for us, our event producers are under a lot of stress. Whatever they bring with them, however they come at you, please, please, please just don’t take it personally. I have my workers take a beat and then ask them, “Is there anything that you would like me to help you with right now so that we could even the playing field again?” Because I get that your job is truly a stressful job, right? Everyone’s expectations are out there. And it probably doesn’t feel stressful—I mean, because you’ve been doing it for so long, right? 

Jazmene (13:24.352) No, I’m not stressed. Yeah, that’s one thing that people always say. Because my thought is that there’s an answer to everything. There’s a solution to everything. So while I may feel like there’s a roadblock or a potential issue, we can figure this out. And you have to deal with a certain type of class and composure to get through it without it affecting the client and the vendors and the attendees, and to do it seamlessly. 

Kenetia (13:57.82) I love that. All right, so is there anyone in the events world that you would love to work with? 

Jazmene (14:07.528) Gosh, I was thinking about this. I’m so excited because I was thinking about my Mount Rushmore of event planners. So I have Mindy Weiss, of course. She is extraordinary. She does amazing, beautifully put-together events and she doesn’t shy away from being a maximalist. I love how she puts together different textures and patterns and just creates a whole other world. So her, of course. Preston Bailey—he does amazing things with florals. These are all old school. I love the newer people, but the old school, I love it. Diane Valentine—she’s a local lady. I’ve seen her a few times in passing and she just is everything from the fashions to everything she does with events and beyond, you know, now getting into the hair care industry and all of that. So she’s on there for sure. And then who else do I have? Oh, Martha Stewart. She started in the catering world, and just her level of class and precision… I always want to get to that point of perfectionism and precision. So those would be my Mount Rushmore. But as far as collaboration, I’m always open to working with new planners and event professionals. 

Kenetia (16:01.277) You are very clear. So I’m of the belief that when you’re very clear, it’s the person that has the clarity that’s actually going to get the thing. So I’m going to wait for you for all of them; it’s going to come through. So awesome. And so 2025 just ended. We’re at the beginning of 2026. Is there any event from last year that really stands out for you where you’re like, “Yes, you did this. Your team just did it to death”? 

Jazmene (16:47.17) Wow. So to touch on earlier what I spoke about regarding trusting my instinct and moving forward in that, it would have to be a style shoot that I planned. It wasn’t a paid job; it was a style shoot that I was the planner for. I’ve been published as an event planner in two other magazines, The Munaluchi and Black Brides. And that was someone else’s vision, someone else’s design. It was amazing and beautiful. But one of my goals for 2025 on my marketing plan was to head my own style shoot. And it was a huge accomplishment for me. I worked with a group of other professionals that weren’t in the LA area. We drove all the way out to Joshua Tree, and it was a venue that wasn’t established as a wedding venue. They were an Airbnb with about 10 guest rooms. They had space to do weddings, and they trusted me and my ability. We did the style shoot and the photos should be released in the next couple weeks or so. That in itself was huge for me because I wasn’t looking to someone else for the approval or for the green light. I trusted my instinct and we accomplished one of our goals. 

Kenetia (18:33.971) Well, congratulations to you on that. And so that was 2025. Do you have anything on your 2026 list that you can share with us?

Jazmene (19:13.87) So I am looking to expand and grow the team and bring on a full-time crew to bring more support so we can better serve more clients. At the end of this month, I’m doing my first award show. I had a referral from another venue coordinator who said, “Jazz is amazing. She’s your girl.” This organization already had their vision—this is the third year they’re doing the award show. So my role has been keeping them on track, keeping them organized, and making sure that on that day everything is running smoothly. That has been really huge because my first event ever was a baby shower 13 years ago. And then now moving forward to an award show for this huge organization—I’m loving the path that I’m on. We’re just looking for more opportunities. We’re part of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission as one of their suppliers. We did an event last year for one of Mayor Karen Bass’s summits at the LA Convention Center. We were a sub on one of those events. I’ve never done a 2,000-person event, but I’m getting more into the industry, understanding how contracts work and how a larger organization might get the contract but we can support them. We’re not shying away from new experiences. 

Kenetia (21:53.02) I believe, if I’m not mistaken, were you at the last summit produced at the LA Convention Center in October?

Jazmene (22:05.998) Yes, it was October. We did the registration. Registration was so seamless. We were prepared for about 4,000 people; about half of those attendees attended and they were well taken care of. I had a great experience with the event producer and the company, Sync VIP, that provided all the technology for registration. My team and I were there, and we met so many more people. Again, that came from the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission.

Kenetia (23:07.923) I love that. If there was one piece of advice that you have received that still rings true for someone who is just starting out, what would that piece of advice be? 

Jazmene (23:53.71) My grandfather used to always say, “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” You really have to invest in yourself, invest in your education, and invest in your credentials. So when you’re meeting with these clients, it’s not just like, “Oh yeah, I know how to make parties look pretty.” It’s, “No, I have certifications. I’m a part of reputable organizations.” It’s really about the preparation. I read an amazing book, Atomic Habits. Just do the little things, because those little things will get you to that goal. It’s not about the goal; it’s about the process. 

Kenetia (25:04.497) That’s right. Showing up to all these networking events is so important. Are there any organizations or associations that you would recommend? 

Jazmene (25:48.799) My go-to is WIPA SoCal (W-I-P-A). They have events almost every other month—educational events, networking events, and so many resources. If you’re not in the wedding-specific industry, ILEA is always great. I also suggest getting some sort of certification. I make sure that on our calendar, I have networking events and educational events scheduled so I’m constantly keeping up to date and not relying on social media. Step away from social, get into the real world, network with people, and expand your knowledge. 

Kenetia (27:27.175) Love it. Okay, I’m going to hit you with some rapid-fire questions. What is your favorite event food? 

Jazmene (27:53.57) Cake. I don’t eat during events, so if I get a slice of cake at the end of the night, I am inhaling it. 

Kenetia (28:10.387) What’s your most bizarre event experience? 

Jazmene (28:16.046) It was time to do speeches. This particular couple had assigned who was going to speak, and one was the bride’s father. He walked down the aisle in these tennis shoes. During his speech, he spoke maybe two or three lines about the bride and groom, but then he went on to talk about his shoes. He displayed a pair of shoes on the table and started to auction them off through Bible Jeopardy or trivia. It was a lot. The bride left about 10 minutes into it because she had to go to the bathroom. We eventually got him off and opened the dance floor after that. 

Kenetia (29:42.739) What do you least like about working on events? 

Jazmene (29:58.19) The preconceived notion that it’s supposed to be stressful or chaotic. On the day of, I have to be very mindful to maintain my calm because that energy is transferred. When they see that I’m not going off the rails, they ease into the fact that everything is going smoothly. We have done all the planning. It’s not a pass to be nasty to people just because you’re stressed out. 

Kenetia (31:28.083) What grounds you? What keeps you staying so level? 

Jazmene (32:16.046) I am a Taurus, and while I’ve had times in my life where I was “hell on wheels,” what grounds me is my connection with my ancestors. My grandmother was 14 years old when she had her first child; another lost her baby when he was six. They had real difficulties. For me to establish a business is something I don’t take lightly. I don’t drink alcohol, and I don’t cuss. It’s important for me to be mindful that what I put in is what I give out. I am a representation of Black women. When I’m showing up, I’m being authentically myself but also mindful to carry myself with grace, class, and love. 

Kenetia (34:01.491) When you do accomplish something, how does Jazz celebrate?

Jazmene (34:24.734) My husband is my number one supporter. Celebrating those wins with him is most important. Then also, probably biannually, we go out with the assistants for a luncheon or dinner to celebrate their participation. 

Kenetia (35:36.724) We need an “I did that” button! 

Jazmene (36:17.55) The funny thing about that Joshua Tree shoot is that I had a U-Haul truck that was stolen the morning of the event. It wasn’t just stolen; it was on a high-speed chase on the news. The person ran into two parked cars and ran off on foot. While this was happening, I was driving to Joshua Tree. All this craziness was happening, but I stayed calm. 

Kenetia (39:04.783) Last question: How do you take time to chill out and relax? 

Jazmene (39:19.074) I love music. Music and energy are very transformative. I also love going to the beach. Seeing how effortlessly the ocean moves is a reminder that I don’t need to force anything. Just as effortlessly as the ocean is doing its thing, I can do the same thing. 

Kenetia (40:48.787) Is there anything on your website you would like us to know about? 

Jazmene (41:17.506) The website is JMotonEventElements.com. On all social media—Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest—it’s @Jazz_the_planner. I’ve also created a guide that helps people through the process of planning and staying calm. 

Kenetia (43:07.507) Thank you so much, Jazmene. You are such a pleasure. We look forward to all of your success in 2026 and beyond.