Lights, Camera, Revenue: How Events Became a Growth Engine

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Shay Wheat, Certified Event Producer™ and CEO of Grace & Ease Productions. Shay shares her powerful journey from managing apartments and doing network marketing to producing multi-million dollar events for powerhouse names like Dr. Oz and Lisa Nichols.

We dive into how events became her ultimate business-building tool, how she pivoted to virtual when the world shut down, and what it really means to lead a business with grace and ease. Shay opens up about the backstage chaos that taught her the importance of building a team, as well as the strategies behind events that truly convert — not just inspire.

If you’ve ever wondered how to scale your impact through live or virtual experiences, this episode is a goldmine.

📝 Show Notes / Topics Covered:

1. How Shay stumbled into event production — and landed her first gig through a chance conversation
2. Working on Dr. Oz’s nonprofit event and Maria Shriver’s Women’s Conference
3. Why the most successful events are reverse-engineered from the end goal
4. The pivotal moment she transitioned from “planner” to Certified Event Producer and strategist
5. The “authority illusion” — and how expertise alone isn’t enough to convert
6. Pivoting to virtual during COVID (including nearly 600 attendees cancelled days before)
7. How to recreate emotional, sensory, and communal experiences virtually
8. Importance of intention for both host and attendees
9. The role of energetics, healing, and intuition in Shay’s business
10. Her breaking point — crawling on the floor in heels during a virtual event mishap — and the wake-up call to scale smarter
11. Why entrepreneurs shouldn’t white-knuckle their businesses

💬 Memorable Quotes from Shay:

“We’re not meant to do life alone, and we’re not meant to do business alone.”

“Events are a bridge. They're the fastest way I know to build trust, connection, and transformation — if you do them with intention.”

“I wasn’t going to keep building a business that required me to sacrifice my well-being to serve someone else’s mission.”

“The audience had no clue, but I was literally crawling on the floor in a dress, unplugging tech at my client’s feet. That was my wake-up call.”

“Being an expert isn’t enough. If you don’t have strategy, team, and conversion systems, your business can bleed out — even if you're the most respected voice in the room.”

“Virtual events are like movies. They need a story, an experience, and a journey that keeps people coming back for more.”

🎯 Shay’s Answer to the Signature Question:

What does it take to be a business owner?

“You can be the most respected voice in the room and still watch your business bleed out. It takes strategy, support, and community. We’re not meant to do this alone — and we shouldn’t have to.”