Compass Conversations: Sing-A-Gram
I’m so excited to introduce my friend and "co-worker" Andrea Plunkett! She is a true burst of life and energy! She’s not just a talented singer, but someone who believes in making every person feel special. From birthdays to anniversaries, Andrea’s Sing-A-Gram business is all about spreading joy, smiles, and a bit of musical magic. She has an amazing ability to make everyone feel like they’ve known her forever, and her passion for helping others succeed shines through in everything she does.
Let’s cheer on Andrea as she continues to bring music, fun, and personal connections to our community!
Each month, we'll take you on a journey through the unique stories, passions, and dreams that drive our local entrepreneurs. These are the stories behind the logos and social media posts, the spirited souls enriching our daily lives with their craft and dedication.
What inspired you to start your business?
I love celebrating people! Everyone should have a chance to feel special and important - especially on a birthday or anniversary (or really anytime at all). I have always been a singer so putting these two things together seemed to make sense. Maybe I can inspire this world to break out in song randomly and become a real-life musical. (Who’s with me???)
How does your business contribute to the local community?
Well, I hope it brings joy to the community. I hope it brings smiles and gets people to pause just a moment and focus on how incredible a person is. I’m not solving the world’s problems but I am making someone’s day better. Music is powerful, it stirs in us emotions we sometimes forget we even had.
Can you share a memorable experience or success story related to your business?
This may be my absolute favorite part! So many neat opportunities we have been able to be a part of. One recently a couple was celebrating their 66th wedding anniversary and the daughter lives out west and so she contacted us.
She usually visits every year but a new job was not making it possible, so she asked us to perform an Elvis song, in full costume. This was her mother’s favorite singer, and sadly her mother had been very recently diagnosed with throat cancer.
We did it and we did it BIG! My son dressed as Elvis, pulled out all the stops for “Love Me Tender” and we drove to Moneta to celebrate them. After seeing our video (which we also provide with every singing telegram) the daughter bought a plane ticket and flew over to see her parents the next week. That made me cry!
What challenges have you faced in building your business, and how have you overcome them?
So one is the younger generations don’t know what a “Singing Telegram” is. So there is some educating the community about what it is we do. The other is just getting the word out there.
Since we started bringing a videographer with us on every event that has helped us with both problems. I will say sometimes distance can be a challenge, but we are constantly adding performers to our business to help spread out more.
What makes your business unique?
Well, one we are the only all-year-round singing telegram business that I am aware of in our area. We are custom-ordered as well. So, for example, we had a request for a squirrel costume - so we got one.
They also requested an original song about “Deetz Nuts” , the name of their sports team - and we wrote it!
Just like each person is unique, every Sing-a-Gram is as well. We love making it personal to them. We also can do “Video-Grams”, send out personalized videos to celebrate a person or occasion.
What advice would you give to other small business owners who are just starting out?
DON’T GIVE UP! Being a small business owner is not for the faint of heart, it can be exhausting and trying at times - but it is worth it. The impact you are making on others and the community far outweighs any money.
This leads me to my other point - don’t undersell yourself! I think especially in businesses that provide a service we worry about charging too much, as I was told, “If people don’t blink at your price - it’s not enough”.
How do you see your business evolving in the future?
My hope would be to continue to expand, help other creative people start their own singing telegram business in their area, add more costumes, and performers. I have big ideas for kid’s birthday parties, personalized gifts, and even a party store!
Do you have a special message that you'd like to share with the community through this article?
Don’t be afraid to take a chance on a crazy idea! Surround yourself with crazy, risk-taking people, not the ones who tell you it can’t be done.
Get out there and try - you’ll never know if you don’t.
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