Meet Nancy Tei of AKT Entertainment

Nancy Tei is the co-owner of AKT Entertainment. I first got to know Nancy through social media. She is currently prepping for the LA Cookie Con & Sweets Show, which will take place in January 2015. In addition to her various jobs & responsibilities, Nancy is a busy mom to an adorable 14 month old girl.

Please meet the latest Real Mom of the SFV, Nancy Tei!

(Photo credit: Nancy Tei)

How/why did you begin your business?
Nancy: AKT Entertainment was born out of my desire to produce the types of events I enjoy attending: shows and conventions where you can connect with brands, get free swag, and meet people with similar interests. Our first event, LA Cookie Con and Sweets Show, is for bakers and people who love baked goods. That covers about 90% of the population, so people are excited. We’re bringing Ron Ben-Israel, star of Food Network’s “Sweet Genius”, and a bunch of Masterchef, Masterchef Junior and Next Food Network Stars to the show.

As a working mother, what is one tip or piece of advice that you would give to other female entrepreneurs?
Nancy: In the short-term, building a business is a huge, daunting, time-consuming task and work/life balance will suffer. You can make the early days easier on yourself by preparing. I wish I had prepared for launching this business the same way I prepared for having my daughter. I should have made more freezer meals and hired a cleaner to come before my first day of work.

What do you like best about having a business in the San Fernando Valley?
Nancy: Many of our exhibitors are based in the San Fernando Valley because it’s a good place to build a business. For example one of our local small business owners, Michele of Ye Olde Tyme Bake Shoppe, is a cottage operator — that means her home kitchen is licensed for commercial sale — and she sells her vegan baked goods at Burbank events. I also moonlight as a martial arts instructor at California Academy of Martial Arts in Burbank. Most of our students live in the SFV. You can go in on any given day and meet an incredible mix of people. The SFV is a mixed bag like that: doctors, lawyers, actors, college students, mechanics, and a lot of bartenders.

If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began your business, what would that be?
Nancy: I wish I would have started sooner! After you become a parent, you realize how much free time you had in your child-free life.

I don’t know about you, but I fall into that 90% of the population who loves baked goods & cannot wait to attend the LA Cookie Con! It is also worth noting that a portion of the LA Cookie Con proceeds will benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

For details on the upcoming LA Cookie Con & Sweets Show, check out their website & be sure to follow them on Twitter & Facebook for the latest info!

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. The image shown in this post is used with permission. As always, my opinions are 100% my own.