Meet Joanne Tan | Event Space Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanne Tan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanne, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

After years of working in the corporate world, helping other people build their dreams and grow their businesses, I felt it was time that I did it for myself, my family, and my community. I wanted to use my skills and experience to build something that would help others and myself who do not have access to as many resources and funding.

I dreamt of building a space that would help jump start people’s dream business while serving a variety of people with different goals. The idea is to create an option that is beautiful, approachable , and memorable. I’ve always dreamt of having plenty of resources so I can spend my time helping people around the world, so I figured I have to start somewhere.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Good Morning Maxwell, honors the Livermore community by providing physical space and hosting events like Makers’ Markets and workshops to promote and support local small businesses and their entrepreneurial leaders. My focus is to help people with great ideas turn their passion into profit. GMM serves as a physical platform and a comfortable space where budding local entrepreneurs have an opportunity to blossom and gain visibility within their community. In addition, Good Morning Maxwell is a venue for celebrating every season of a person’s life. We have been the backdrop for baby showers to celebrations of life, and we designed our spaces with much flexibility to accommodate a variety of needs.

I’ve spent 17 years working for big companies specifically in hospitality heading sales development and building revenue generating programs. In all of those years, I’ve always made a huge effort to be connected with the community and our audience. I’ve always believed that the success and growth of any business lies on the people who are in it and believes in the mission and purpose of the brand.

I think what sets our brand apart is that we have clarity on our purpose and who we are. We recognize that our growth is heavily dependent on the people who we serve and able to help. When you make helping your primary mission, there is just no losing.

As for challenges, that will always be there, and it just comes with the territory. There is nothing easy when you are building something amazing. However, you cannot let fear and the unknown cripple you from turning your vision into reality. The truth is, in business and life, you can plan as much as you want but you can never predict the entire outcome. Sometimes, it’s better to just jump in with both feet and your eyes closed. Once you’re in the water, you just have to keep swimming and remember why you wanted to jump in the first place.

If there is anything that I want the world to know about our story, it is that we are a concrete example of what a business built for the community grown by the community looks like. We built our brand with service as our main core value, and we embedded this in all of our actions and efforts. The people who we serviced has been our main ambassadors and supporters throughout our journey, and there is nothing more powerful than that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I would first bring them to Press Cafe which is a beautiful and bright cafe in our little downtown. I will order the graham cracker latte for them extra sweet! I will take my best friend to just stroll around our charming downtown, admiring all our little shops like Sweet Hope Co. which is a Latina owned handcrafted soap business, let her savor the scents inside the store and introduce her to the owner to fall in love even more.

Afterwards, I will then bring with us Tooney of TooneyWhite Photography and I will take them for a drive through the stunning views of Livermore’s vineyards which is just about 5 minutes away from our downtown and allow her to just savor the breathtaking views. I’ll ask Tooney to capture her photos with the best golden hour colors.

But first, we will stop by The Cheese Parlor, my favorite cheese bar with the most knowledgeable owner. I’ll pick us up some truffle cheese and my favorite Blindwood cider. As we drive, I’ll point out our beautiful public library who has the best staff and that has a cute little cafe connected to it called The Daily Grind.

After visiting some of my favorite wineries, I will bring her to Locanda wine bar back in Downtown Livermore for some Espresso Martini and the best Italian food. I will introduce her again to the Chef and Owner who will welcome her like a long-lost cousin and let their team impress her with their authentic Italian dishes and beautiful Italian accent.

To finish the day, I will take her to our super cute Vine Cinema house which is a historic theater in our town and let her pick the movie she wants.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

When I opened my first event space, it was February 27th of 2020. The worst timing ever for a gathering venue to open in a NO gathering world.

With very limited funding, an unpredictable economy, and an indefinite reopening date for businesses, I could have raised the white flag much sooner.

However, I was surrounded by so many encouraging and inspiring people within our Tri-valley community, specifically in the City of Livermore who refused to let me quit on my dream job. I chanced upon several small business owners who too was pivoting and figuring things out as they go. We picked each other up on many hard days, brainstormed the craziest ideas, and rallied for support from our community day in and day out. The community showed up for us and made sure we feel and see them standing behind everything that we came up with. It is the most magical thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. So, although the pandemic has been painful, it provided all of us the opportunity to be there for each other during the hardest of times.

Website: www.goodmorningmaxwell.com

Instagram: @goodmorningmaxwell

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-tan-8b809112/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodmorningmaxwell

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/good-morning-maxwell-livermore

Image Credits
Tooney White Photography