I started JoJo's So Creative in 2014 after attending comic conventions where everyone was always asking where I got my fabulous costumes and accessories. When they found out I made everything, they started asking to buy them or commission them, and my maker business was born! Three years later, in 2017, my appendix burst, and I almost died. Coming out of anesthesia, apparently I wailed that I had almost died and "never seen Harry Potter Land!" So naturally, I started a social club, Hogsmeade Weekenders, for Universal Studios pass holders who wanted to spend more time wizarding around there. Since 2017, Hogsmeade Weekenders has gone on it's own journey, transitioning from all-Harry-Potter-all-the-time, to a celebration of all fandoms, which you can read about here.

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However, fast forward to January 2022, when my mom passed away. She was a lifelong die-hard Disney fan and absolutely loved Disneyland. She was also my exact opposite in that she loved being out and about doing things instead of cozied up doing things at home. The following November, I bought my first Disney pass in almost two decades and was quickly introduced to fan-organized, unofficial theme days in the park. Not just Dapper Day, which is big enough to host a whole expo, but Adventureland Day, Mermaids Day, Bats Day in the Park®, and my personal favorite, Villain's Day.

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In fact, Janna, also known as @villainmistress on Instagram and the creator of Villain's Day, really gave me the courage to start Main Street Pumpkin Day. She hasn't had the benefit of hosting Villain's Day since the 90s, like Bats Day, and doesn't have the resources that some other groups have because they're run by folks whose day job is their creative business. And yet, Villain's Day is my favorite themed day by far. All of them are great, but I walked away from Villain's Day going, "Yes! This is exactly the way I wanted to spend the day!"

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Of course, I was primed for inspiration because my mom was an entrepreneur above all. She started her business from scratch, and she was forever saying, "Just go do it," about anything and everything. Because of her, I was fearless enough to start a kid's entertainment business when I was in college. Now, even though now I have a real-life day job that pays the bills, I still side hustle making my handcrafted goodies. I love making them, so I just went ahead and did it! When I'm at Disneyland, I feel close to my mom, and Main Street Pumpkin Day is just one more way to get out there and do something.