From Event Management to Decent Ducks: The Story of a Pivot
How raising ducks inspired the creation of Decent Ducks Sanctuary, prompting a pivot from corporate event management to digital agency ownership.
Pivots are rarely linear. They usually start with a random hobby or an unexpected inspiration that shifts your trajectory. For me, that catalyst was ducks.
This is the story of how managing physical events led to raising waterfowl, launching the Decent Ducks Sanctuary, and building a digital brand agency in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Local Events Path
Between 2020 and 2023, my professional world revolved around logistics:
- Coordination of promo distributions for Coast To Coast Events.
- Managing stages, security, and vendor grids for Red Mountain Events.
- Running marketing campaigns at Ikon Marketing.
It was satisfying work. I loved the physical manifestation of events—seeing empty spaces transform into lively festivals or corporate meetings. But local events are constrained by physical locations. You can only scale as far as the capacity of the room.
The Decent Ducks Catalyst
In 2023, I began raising ducks. Watching their social structures and habits inspired me to set up the Decent Ducks Sanctuary, a dedicated physical space for waterfowl protection.
I wanted to find a way to fund and scale the sanctuary globally, which led me to research blockchain assets. We launched the Decent Ducks NFT project on Web3.
The experience of launching this digital project was eye-opening:
- Global Reach: Within weeks, we had community members from Europe, Asia, and across America discussing ducks and supporting our sanctuary.
- Dynamic Content: I had to direct graphic designs, write project updates, handle digital branding, and run discord spaces.
- Agency Pivot: I realized I enjoyed the digital creation process immensely. It was the exact reason I founded Ikonic Studio and Pjs Media Co—to apply this brand-building methodology to other clients.
"The duck sanctuary was the bridge. It forced me to combine my physical project execution skills with global digital distribution."
Porting the Skills
Traditional event management teaches you:
- Extreme attention to detail.
- Timeline management under stress.
- Direct audience communication.
These are the exact skills needed to run successful digital agencies. Pjs Media Co and Ikonic Studio exist today because the ducks showed me that digital brand scaling is the most leveraged way to build.
If you are thinking about making a professional pivot of your own, don't wait. Step out, connect your past skills to a new medium, and see what happens.