We’re looking forward to introducing you to KpopinJax. Check out our conversation below.
KpopinJax, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Recently we were approached by a group of students who had asked if they could film one of our events for a school project on fan culture. We were genuinely surprised and delighted to be asked to be included on a project that covers a topic that is such a large part of the foundation of our community. For us, it means that the events we have been hosting are making a greater impact on our community than we could’ve imagined. To add on to that, also being asked to do another interview with BoldJourney makes us feel even more proud of the work that we are doing to bring fans together.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello, we are KpopinJax! We are a group of individuals that organize K-pop related events based out of Jacksonville, FL. In the past 3 years, we’ve had the opportunity to bring a community together that feels safe and welcoming for anyone looking to share their interest in K-pop and make new friends or re-connect with old ones in a different way. In addition to friendships new and old, we have also seen parents connecting with their kids as well at our events through their love of K-pop. We have had the opportunity to grow over these past 3 years through collaborations with fellow event hosts as well as traveling to different cities – meeting new people and sharing our love of K-pop.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Through personal experience, feedback from our community, and relationships with other event hosts we have been able to expand our mindset on event hosting and make every event better than the last. We are extremely grateful for the constructive criticism we have received as well as the overwhelming positive response from event-goers.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
Over the summer, we had an event planned that we anticipated being a larger event due to a concert that was happening close to our event date. One week prior to the event, it was brought to our attention that a certain party involved in the space we were hosting at, were conducting themselves in ways that did not align with our values. We chose to notify this party that we wanted to prioritize aligning ourselves with individuals and businesses that create a safe space for our community and to ensure our attendees would feel safe and supported in whatever venue we choose to host in. We then made the decision to move the event to a new location who graciously agreed to have us at the last minute.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
We started KpopinJax because of our love for K-pop and our desire to share it with other K-pop fans that we knew existed but had to way to come together here in Jacksonville. Now thanks to KpopinJax, we have made many new friends and been to many new places which we never would have been able to experience before. We love being able to share K-pop with others, whether that be hosting these events, giving someone a chance to see their favorite artist live, or creating a space that someone can come to, to learn about K-pop and it’s rapidly growing cultural influence
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What false labels are you still carrying?
When people think of K-pop, they may think of screaming teenagers who skip school just to get the chance to see their favorite group live. The reality could be this, but it could also be so much more. Anyone you can imagine is probably a fan of some kind for some reason not because of who they are or how old they are or what they do for a living, but because K-pop connected with something inside them. It may be called K-pop, but like the people who listen to it, it is so much more than what it seems.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kpopinjax.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kpopinjax/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@kpopinjax
Image Credits
Sage Cleary (insta: @sage_c_photogrophy)
Fiona (insta: @meiseos)
