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different from the norm. "Our niche is special events at upscale venue spaces, lounges, and hotels," said Day. Made Men staff also sets us apart. "We only hire top-level staff members in the industry and we offer competitive pay. These people are experts and well- trained in providing exceptional service." With the COVID-19 pandemic, Made Men Entertainment moved its New Year's extravaganza from the Old Red Museum to another locale in the Dallas area. Managing a Business Made Men Entertainment outsourc- es bookkeeping, tax reporting, and legal counsel while Day handles marketing, networking, planning, and budget- ing. I've been very hands-on with the company. “Either pre-COVID or post-COVID. Any entrepreneur will tell you that there are no days off. Honestly, the hours of work are not as important as getting the job done. I'm constantly marketing, video conferencing, giving presentations, negotiating proposals, and planning. If I had to guess, it would be 40 hours a week doing something I love." Day believes the first step to being successful in this space is maintaining the confidence to become a success- ful entrepreneur. "Without it, you are guaranteed to fail. You must have a vision for your company with long- and short-term goals." Next, Day says, one needs to "possess networking skills, cre- ativity, flexibility, integrity, decisiveness, financial literacy, and a strong motiva- tion to succeed. Starting a business is easier when you have the knowledge and passion for that line of work. Learn everything you can about the industry. Find yourself a mentor." Maintaining a long-term business relationship is essential because rela- tionships can affect a company's growth. "I've had venues write letters of recom- mendation and make phone calls on my behalf to help Made Men leverage new partnership opportunities. These rela- tionships have helped with building my reputation, assisted me in gaining new clients, and provided me with consisten-
cy in the ever-changing market. There is a sense of expectation on both sides." "Also, integrity is critical to us, it takes you a long way in this industry. All invoices to employees and venues are paid on time and we are never late. And we never burn bridges, our business relationships are a cornerstone of the company. We market to our database weekly by email and social media. Our events are consistent and at this point, we are a staple in the city." Impact of COVID-19 In March 2020, Made Men Enter- tainment suspended all operations until Texas lifted its mandated lockdown in September. Since the lifting of the lockdown, the business has been chal- lenging. Made Men Entertainment restarted its planned events with limited capacity and mandated patrons and staff wear masks at its events. The company also attempted to host events at larger venues that supported social distancing. Kappa Alpha Psi Day is currently a member of the Richardson-Plano (TX) Alumni (RPA), where he has served on the chapter's board of directors since 2020. Previ- ously, Day led RPA's social events as its social chairman for three years. "When I first joined RPA, I quickly realized that I could leverage my com- pany to enhance RPA's presence in the Dallas area's social marketplace. Made Men allowed RPA to become visible in a different market with people who had no affiliation to Kappa Alpha Psi. Being able to reach the general public set the
chapter apart." One of Day's fraternal highlights was chairing the social events for the 2018 Southwestern Province Council Meet- ing, which included a party gala with over 1,700 people in attendance. 2022 Founders' Day Celebration Day and his Made Man Entertain- ment coordinated with seven area alumni chapters: Dallas (TX) Alumni, Ft. Worth (TX) Alumni, Arlington-Grand Prairie (TX) Alumni, Richardson-Plano (TX) Alumni, Mansfield-Cedar Hill (TX) Alumni, Denton-Lewisville (TX) Alumni, and Commerce-Greenville (TX) Alumni for a Kappa Alpha Psi Founders' Day Celebration entitled Diamond Af- fair. This event is the first time all seven chapters collaborated on hosting a social event. On Saturday, January 8, 2022, Dia- mond Affair was held at Dallas' House of Blues. The event was well supported despite rain and raised $20,000 for the area chapters' scholarship funds.
The Future In 2018, Day left the mortgage
industry to create my own real estate company, DFW Lifestyle Realty, LLC. I have since become the owner of mul- tiple properties in the DFW area. Day's short-term goal with his new company is to increase his company's investment portfolio and his long-term goal is to invest in commercial real estate. Jason Day lives in Cedar Hill, TX with his wife Jessica and daughter Jordyn.
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