Amy Shack Egan ’14
Founder: Cheersy
New York City, NY
WFU Class of 2014
Majors: Gender Studies, Communication
Career
Tell us about your journey from graduation to where you are today:
Turned down a FT Public Relations job in NYC to work for a t-shirt start-up in Philly post grad. I then convinced my boss I could do the job in NYC. But when I moved, I realized, I needed 2 more jobs to pay the bills! I nannied and worked at a bakery and did social media marketing for the start-up in the evening.
During that time, I also met up with a friend planning her wedding. She needed help getting organized. I was always the event planner of my friend group so I helped her out. At the end of our first session, she said, “You could be a wedding planner!” I probably gasped. I was not into weddings.
But from there, I decided, why couldn’t I? Didn’t the industry need a feminist, rebel-energy wedding planner? My first company, Modern Rebel, was born. I planned 500 “love parties” aka weddings that break the rules over a decade. Block party weddings, space disco cowboy weddings, punk rock weddings, etc. In the midst of that, I got married, too, and had my son in 2021.
Then, in 2025, I wound that business down and wrote a book that was published by Harper Collins: the Rebel Wedding Planning Guidebook. I also had twins and launched my second company, Cheersy, a digital marketplace to book a quality day-of wedding coordinator. I raised a $650,000 pre-seed round with Kerry Washington as the lead investor, and booked 90 weddings in the first year alone.
Now, I’m FT founder + CEO of Cheersy, a published author, and proudly, “the anti-wedding wedding planner.” I live in NYC with my husband and 3 kids.
How much did your studies and general experience at Wake inform or drive your career path?
Hugely impacted it! My gender studies degree taught me to question, interrogate, disrupt – all of these things I have taken with me as I carved out a modern brand in an outdated industry. Plus, my communications degree has been key to my messaging, storytelling, and sales.
How did you find and apply to the various positions you’ve held? Any tips or suggestions for the student audience on networking, interviewing and applying for jobs?
I’ve been mostly an entreprenuer since graduation so not a lot of applying! But it has absolutely been integral to make connections + network. Make the bold ask, send the email, be okay getting a no. I’ve received way more nos than yes’ BUT if you can get over that, so much opportunity is waiting for you!
What is your favorite part of living and working in New York? What is the most interesting thing going on in the art scene there at the moment, in your opinion?
NYC is the best city in the world. It’s like a constant classroom! I am very deep in mom + founder mode BUT when I do get out and visit a museum (I recently went to the Frick), I am always just blown away by the art just a few subway stops away!
What is your favorite part about your job?
I love nurturing the next generation of event entrepreneurs, primarily women, and helping them make their own money + schedules. I also love being sure couples who plan their weddings don’t actually run it and can look back on their wedding day with a smile not regret that they didn’t hire someone to coordinate it!
What and where is next for you?
Growing Cheersy, being a great mom, slowing down when I can to appreciate it all…
Any other kernel of advice you’d like to impart to the readers?
Your hard work is unlocking doors you can’t see yet. Keep going!