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How a trivia-events company grew through the pandemic

Jess Evans, co-founder of Austin, Texas-based Get It Gals, says her business is on track for its biggest year yet.

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Jess Evans at Get It Gals' five-year-anniversary quiz.
Jess Evans at Get It Gals' five-year-anniversary quiz.
Candice Magen Photography/Courtesy Jess Evans

Many businesses have had to adapt to survive during the pandemic — including Get It Gals, an Austin, Texas-based trivia company. It used to operate by running exclusively in-person events at bars and parties but went online when the pandemic started.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal talked with co-founder Jess Evans in February, when the company was facing another hurdle because of the severe freeze that knocked out power in the area. We checked back in with her to see how things are going now.

“Business has been continuously shifting, and we’ve been doing that big 2020 to 2021 word that I feel like everyone is talking about all the time: It’s the constant pivot,” Evans said.

As more people become vaccinated, Get It Gals has returned to some in-person events, mostly on outdoor patios. Evans estimates about 60% of business is coming from the in-person events, with the remainder taking place online.

Evans, left, running a trivia event.
Jess Evans, left, running a trivia event.
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“2020 — miraculously — was our biggest year yet,” Evans said, because moving online expanded Get It Gals’ customer base from the Austin area to the world. They’ve hosted trivia events for people in South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. She said Get It Gals is on track to continue growing in 2021 with the return of some in-person events.

The growth of Get It Gals has allowed Evans to quit her side jobs and focus on the business full time.

“I never would have thought that this could be a full-time job, especially because when we first started it, we were doing it for a bar tab and no money,” she said.

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