Meet Mackenzie Franklin | Game Night Host & Board Game Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mackenzie Franklin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mackenzie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think risk taking is an essential aspect of life. There are no guarantees in anything. When it comes to SideGame LLC, the entire premise is risky, foraying into a space that does not exist in the Colorado Springs area and reaching out to the community to convince them to indulge in a new experience. It’s a risk when we get a new game into our library: Will it be a great fit for families and gamers alike, or will it fail completely and be a loss for the company? If we took no risks, our library would be bare and many of our biggest hitting games would have never been found. Risk often results in consequences we could never have foreseen, forcing us to adapt, sometimes for the better. SideGame’s online presence is a direct result of needing to adapt to the Pandemic and now it is a cornerstone of the company. We are happy to embrace risk taking and will continue to dive into new challenges!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The goal of SideGame LLC is to be an exciting and unique option for guests to spend time with friends and family without worrying about set-up or event details. We specialize in providing instruction for various board games, including a large selection of games to customize guest entertainment, and a warm and inviting atmosphere for guests to enjoy. SideGame can be customized to fit a specific theme if desired and tailored specifically for your event! I’m proud of the memories and moments we create between families and friends and the stories that will persist as a direct result.

The biggest key to getting to where we are today is collaboration and reaching out. Spreading the word of a novel business is important when people don’t even know what they’re supposed to be looking for. Through volunteering at local events not only are we spreading the joy of gaming to others but we are showing the potential of what SideGame can do as an entertainment service. My biggest advice to others would have to be to reach out to others outside of your community. We’ve brought in so many different perspectives and opinions through our livestream collaborations on our Youtube channel that shows thought process behind our game selection and give suggestions for viewers (and ourselves) to try new things!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When it comes to Colorado Springs, there are two place you need to check out: Josh and John’s for Purple Mountain Majesty Ice Cream, and Odyssey Gastro Pub for their array of flavorful foods.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
All credit goes to my wife, Ariana Franklin. She has been with me through it all, the inception of the company, volunteering at conventions, trying new games, and giving me time and support to put my passion into SideGame LLC. Without Ariana, there would be no SideGame. I’m truly grateful for all that she does, and she heavily deserves my shoutout!

Website: https://sidegamecolorado.weebly.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidegameco/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SideGameColorado/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sidegamellc