Make Your Network Work: Leadership, Events, And The ROI Of Showing Up

The room lights fade, the mic clicks on, and a familiar rink-side voice guides the crowd. That same calm command powers a 200+ event DJ company and a community leader who helped steer a chamber through the hardest year in recent memory. Shane Griffin joins us to share how a local entertainment brand scales without losing its soul.

We dive into the craft behind great events: reading the room, pacing the night, and using MC work to support the host rather than steal the show. Shane explains how he built a nine-DJ roster, the training that keeps quality consistent across weddings, school dances, and corporate gatherings, and why his name is treated like a promise. You’ll hear how the Stingrays’ in-rink announcing sharpened his timing and presence, and how that same clarity shows up in every timeline, transition, and announcement.

Community sits at the heart of the story. As a past chamber president during COVID, Shane unpacks what it took to protect member value when gatherings vanished and why strong financial stewardship and experienced boards matter. More importantly, he makes the case for moving from attendee to contributor: join a committee, take a role, and let your work be your marketing. That’s where referrals deepen and partnerships last.

We close with practical playbook items: social proof that actually converts, simple ways to make booking painless, and how early planning protects your date and your outcome. Whether you’re planning a wedding, running school events, leading corporate programs, or growing a service brand, this conversation offers clear steps to build trust, deliver consistently, and stay booked.

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Presenting Sponsor: Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce

Studio Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions

Expo Podcast Sponsor: ‪@PollenSocial‬

Production Sponsor: RMBO.co

Design Sponsor: DK Design

Committee:
Kathleen Herrmann | Host | MPCC Immediate Past President | Mount Pleasant Towne Centre
Mike Compton | Co-host | Marketing Chair | RMBO.co
Rebecca Imholz | Co-host | MPCC Executive Director
Amanda Bunting Comen | Co-host | Social ABCs
Ben Nesvold | Co-host | In-coming President | Edward Jones

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:24):
Shane, you are the a man of many, many things going
on here.
But right today we're here withShane Griffin Entertainment.
Entertainment, yes.

SPEAKER_00 (00:32):
Yes.
Yeah, I have I wear a number ofdifferent hats.
So I have on my Shane GriffinEntertainment hat.
Right now.
Yeah.
Yes.
Right now.

SPEAKER_01 (00:40):
And you're DJing.

SPEAKER_00 (00:41):
Right.

SPEAKER_02 (00:41):
The DJ voice is ready.

SPEAKER_00 (00:42):
Making some MC work, uh, making people aware of
what's going on here at thisgreat event.
But yeah, it's uh a localwedding DJ company, been in
business for eight years.

SPEAKER_01 (00:52):
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (00:52):
Been a DJ for uh almost 20 now.
Nice.
So um, and this is a great townto uh to be in the DJ business
for sure.

SPEAKER_01 (01:01):
There's no events happening ever.
You're probably dead.

SPEAKER_02 (01:04):
I was just telling Shane that we hire him for all
of our school events.
And I know Laurel Hill doesalso.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09):
So there's a lot of events and there's a lot of
schools.

SPEAKER_02 (01:12):
For sure.

SPEAKER_01 (01:13):
You know, so how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 (01:15):
I'm great, very busy.
Uh we just passed over 200events booked for the year.
So this year?
For your to your point.
Incredible.
There's a lot of events that arehappening.

SPEAKER_02 (01:24):
Do we still have DJ Sparkles in the mix?

SPEAKER_00 (01:25):
DJ Sparkle is in the mix.
I have actually have a team ofnine DJs that work for you.
Nine DJs?
So we stay very busy fromweddings, corporate events, uh,
school events, we do all kindsof different things.
You have a team roster.

SPEAKER_02 (01:37):
That's great.
That's amazing for you.
And you're the voice of thestingrays.

SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
I'm the in-rink voice, yeah.
I do the in-rink announcements.
So if anybody goes to the hockeygames and they hear the
penalties and the advertisementsand you know that voice that
sounds like this, that would beuh that would be me.
I've been doing that.
This will be my 19th seasonbeing there.
19th season season?
What are you talking about?

SPEAKER_02 (01:58):
Now, do your kids think it's cool that you do all
these things?

SPEAKER_00 (02:00):
Uh they do.
They do.

SPEAKER_02 (02:01):
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (02:01):
Yeah, they do.
My daughter, my youngestdaughter, doesn't quite
understand it yet.
She's only four.
She's four, right?
Uh but uh yeah, my oldest, theyenjoy it.
Um but when my youngest comes tothe games, she's like looking at
me like She's like, where isthat coming from?
What's that voice?

SPEAKER_01 (02:16):
Is she doing it at home?
She does not.
Not yet.
Not yet.
No, no, no.
Soon it up, she'll be like,let's go.

SPEAKER_03 (02:21):
I can't even imagine your dad, like, mean dad voice.
Uh it can be it can get upthere, yeah.
Yeah, can't?
What was the question?
The mean dad voice voice.
Because he's got this like fun,like get in your room, it's time
for bed! It's very whole.
I I can't even imagine it.

unknown (02:37):
That's so funny.

SPEAKER_03 (02:38):
The starting line for your stick race, get to bed.

SPEAKER_01 (02:40):
There's no yelling at your kids nowadays, anyways,
right?
It's uh that's up for debate.
That's up for debate.
I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 (02:49):
I try to yell less.
A past president of the chamber.
Oh, that's right.
That's how we've met.

SPEAKER_00 (02:53):
Yeah, I was based to be uh president.
I was the COVID president.
So I was able to uh lead thelead the team, lead the uh
organization through uh COVID,which was obviously a very
challenging time for anorganization that meets and
likes to get together andnetwork.
I remember those.
That was uh that was a toughyear.
Tough year.
But I tell you, the thefinancial status of the

(03:15):
organization, uh given what JoeHinsky and uh the other members
of the team uh did, uh ChrisDobbs and Phipps and you know
the the the old school, the oldguard, um really put us in a
great position to weather thatstorm and really did a good job
of kind of uh holding themembers and keeping everything
in place until we knew moreabout what was gonna happen

(03:35):
moving forward.

SPEAKER_01 (03:37):
Right, right.
So you you know the ins and outsof this thing.
You've been a part of thechamber for a while.
You've been able to do that.

SPEAKER_03 (03:41):
When I got introduced to the chamber, you
were the president.

SPEAKER_01 (03:44):
Same.

SPEAKER_00 (03:44):
Yeah, I started here my first year meeting, um coming
to networking events for thechamber probably 2006, seven.

SPEAKER_01 (03:55):
And look at you look at you now, look how successful
you are now.

SPEAKER_00 (03:59):
Like a Charleston household name.
Well, I appreciate that.
I don't think of myself thatway, but you know, I try to run
a solid business.
My name is everything to me, sotry to um obviously put together
you know a solid uh plan when itcomes to events and work with my
DJs to ensure success.
But we do it all from weddingsto corporate events, school
events.
If you have an event that needsmusic or an MC, we can certainly

(04:22):
help you.

SPEAKER_02 (04:23):
That's amazing.
So far built for 2025.
That's impressive.

SPEAKER_00 (04:27):
It's been fun, a lot of fun.
So dot com?
Uh LetChainentertain.com.
Let's do it in your voice.
Do it in your voice.
Let Chainentertain.com.

SPEAKER_02 (04:37):
I love it.

SPEAKER_00 (04:37):
So you can find me online, you can find me on
social, uh, Instagram, Facebook,regular updates.
You know, we do videos and wepics and tag where we are with
events and um, you know, allthat kind of fun stuff.
So yeah, it's a it's a lot offun.
I'm enjoying it.

SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
Well, thanks for your leadership here in the
chamber.
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Continuing sponsorship here inthe chamber.
Uh it's definitely worthjoining.
Look at Success Story 103.
We've got, oh, remember the raceto 500.

SPEAKER_00 (05:03):
I will say, if I may, for folks that are watching
that may be thinking aboutmembership.
Yes, please.
I had a sales manager when Istarted coming to the
organization, uh, he said,there's this little group in
Mount Pleasant that meets, it'sthe business association.
Sure.
If you can go out there andreally make that your own and
really work that group.
And so I really kind of dug in,and I was the marketing chair, I
was, you know, obviouslypresident-elect, and then

(05:25):
president, past president, but Ifound that when I immersed
myself in the organization andbecame a part of a board, uh, or
a committee rather, and thenbecame a position of leadership,
that's where the return on thetime really kind of went to that
next level.
So I would invite folks that aremaybe regular members, look at
ways to really get more involvedbecause I think in the long term

(05:45):
you'll see a return on that timeand the investment that you're
providing to the chamber.
I love that.
So could I have said that anybetter than that?
No, solid, solid advice.

SPEAKER_01 (05:53):
Nope, that's it.
Thank you.
Absolutely for having me.

SPEAKER_00 (05:56):
Let Shane entertain.

SPEAKER_01 (05:58):
Thanks to our sponsors, Pollen Social, for
sponsoring the podcast here inthe live stream.
Thanks to the Mount PleasantChamber.

SPEAKER_02 (06:06):
Yes, Cause Films, Larry Monte for doing
production.

SPEAKER_01 (06:09):
Cause Films, Larry.
Who else?

SPEAKER_02 (06:11):
I think we got it covered.

SPEAKER_01 (06:12):
We got it covered.
Thanks, Shane, great to see you.
I'll be there.

SPEAKER_02 (06:18):
Awesome.
I can't wait.

SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
Thank you all.

SPEAKER_00 (06:20):
Good work.