Meet Erika Jones of A Social Life in Hyde Park and Woodlawn Area

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Jones.

Erika, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am an artist at heart. Visual and performing arts are my nucleus. Everything that I have done has been started from that seed.

Columbia College is what brought me to Chicago and I graduated with a B.A. in Arts Management, with an emphasis on Music Business. This is where my art journey began to take make many twists and turns professionally. Upon graduation, I became a former booking agent and touring background vocalist and toured extensively. I produced music showcases and intimate jam sessions for local Chicago musicians to come and spare with, however, many national artists and their band members seeking local community and networking. Those jam sessions ignited and brought together my passion and talent in the arts with a career in party planning and event design overnight.

My mother had a catering company when I was a young girl, but I was old enough to see and feel it existence which became a part of our family culture. Because of this, parties were always planned in my childhood home. Whether we were entertaining ourselves or guests, my parents made sure we knew hot to entertain and dine, properly.

It wasn’t until my late twenties, that I realized how I could bring my love for entertaining and my upbringing together in a way where I could share my passion with others. I asked myself “what is the one thing we all wish we had time for? A Social Life.

I started A Social Life to curate the ambiance for fellowship anywhere and to support my clients in their desire to engage socially in their most authentic way.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Nothing is ever a smooth road, and it shouldn’t be. Those bumpy roads add growth. I have some of the same entrepreneurial struggles as the next but I think it’s more about being fluid and allowing yourself to shift if needed.

Dining well is for everyone, anywhere. I help clients realize they can have access to luxury, entertaining and dining well in their own homes, if needed. I find myself helping people return to the basics of entertaining and what that means, while planning large-scale events. Whether the client is hosting a dinner party and needs proper cutlery, glassware, and napkins of hosting a cocktail party and needs appropriate hors d’oeuvres to serve, I make sure that I ignite the same fire of inspiration that gets me excited about what I do, within my clients as well. The goal is not just to ignite that fabulousness at a one-time event, but in the daily lives of my clients and the social lives of their friends.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
A Social Life is a party planning and event design company specializing in intimate gatherings at any scale. We bring our clients dreams of hosting an unforgettable party into reality.

At A Social Life, I have carved a special niched for intimate weddings, with a capacity of 150 guests and under. I believe an intimate wedding is a mindset and I share this with my clients. Intimacy in a wedding and marriage can be more luxurious and lavish than the amount one spends. A small capacity wedding can automatically create a feeling of inclusiveness money can’t buy. We incorporate that formula of luxury through inclusiveness with other social events that we plan and design for our clients.

Much like myself, A Social Life tends to attract the unconventional and artistic clients, and I love that. We accommodate weddings and receptions that are held on separate dates, for example. We don’t believe in rules and allow our clients to direct us towards their authenticity and special needs and dreams.

One client in particular came to me specifically because she knew my musical background and she wanted the sound for the live band at the wedding to be impeccable. That was so important to her because she was going to be performing as well – it needed to be perfect. The catch was that we were in a remote space, by the lake, and out of state. Imaging a beautiful wedding reception with live music, and the singers including the bride step up to the mic but cannot hear themselves, so they can’t perform to their best capacity…tragic. She knew I was not going to let that happen to her because of my experience in entertainment and performance. I remember sitting far away from the festivities, eating my dinner and letting out a huge sigh and said ” the music sounds great.”

Attention to detail, understanding how to bring luxury and scale to any event, and entertainment experiences set me apart.

What were you like growing up?
I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and I am the baby of 6 children. My parents were married for 60 years until my mother passed away last year on my 39th birthday. We are a very close family, my eldest siblings are baby boomers, and my brother above me is 6 years older. We are both considered the “babies” of the family and both chose music as our path which landed us here in Chicago.

I was very sociable growing up. I knew very young that I was an old soul and that was mainly because I was constantly around adults, which made me see things differently. I was into the arts. I knew that was something I would do. I remember the first time I realized I could draw. After I read a book so many times, I would begin to recreate the characters on the page, but trace by free hand. That is where i started to understand lines and placements.

As far as music, I was heavily influenced by the music that was played in our home. My dad loves jazz, my older siblings were into funk, soul, and rock. my brother was taking guitar lessons, and I started taking my own lessons. I started playing piano fairly young, then I moved to cello and violin through out elementary school but I continued my musical path with singing. I knew I could personally maneuver through my path more with singing and it worked. My voice and personality got me to some doors i wanted to walk through.

I’ve always had a love for dance but I didn’t pursue it until junior year in high school but I really explored it in college.

I’ve always had a love for food and table design. It’s something that my mom, sisters, and I thoroughly enjoyed. Centerpieces, table etiquette, and napkin folds, etc was always something we researched and played around with. It confirms that this party planning and event design is something I was raised to do, to assist clients in entertaining.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.asocialife.com
• Phone: 773-349-2226
• Email: ejones@asocialife.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asocialife/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASocialLifeTV/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/asocialife

Image Credit:
Santa Leal Photography, A Couple of Dudes Photography

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