Jes Gordon’s namesake company jesGORDON/properFUN, provides high end, personal event design and management with loads of signature style. Her first book, Party Like A Rock Star (Globe Pequot Press), provides everyone with the tools they need to throw the party of their dreams, regardless of their budget. Gordon was the Design Mentor on Bravo’s “Rocco’s Dinner Party.” Each week, Gordon aided the competing chefs in creating a memorable dinner party experience that went well beyond the cuisine. Gordon’s innate eye for color was first noticed at thirteen when she stumbled into the industry as an assistant to a floral designer. By the time she reached her junior year at Bard College, she had a blooming floral business. Gordon went on to open a contemporary art gallery and flower shop in Taos, New Mexico, and later moved to New Orleans to work on set designs for films, including “Interview with a Vampire” and “Dead Man Walking.”

In 1992, Gordon became the Events and Decor Director for the infamous Tavern on the Green restaurant in New York. Her work at Tavern on the Green led to private commissions for celebrities including Madonna, Barbara Streisand, Harrison Ford, Vanessa Williams, Sting, and Elton John, among others. Gordon now applies her eye for design and passion for the unexpected to her event design and production firm. Gordon has created captivating corporate events for Bank of Hapoalim, CNN, Ann Taylor, M&M’s, Comcast, AOL, Yahoo, Rowenta, A&E Networks, West Point, Lifetime Channel, and many others. She also continues to dazzle brides and socialites alike with dream weddings and private affairs. With a strong base in New York, she continues to work all over the world.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• How Jes Gordon got started in the event industry at the age of 13
• How Jes uses an initial meeting to learn about her clients through observation
• Jes's take on competition in the industry and staying in your own lane
• Looking outside the industry to gain knowledge
• How having her name on the door has shaped her business