Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey Mascio.
Hi Joey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
About a year ago, everything changed for my family. My mother passed away unexpectedly after a surgery she underwent. That left my dad in charge of my younger brother, an adult with special needs. My dad had spent 20+ years as a pediatric nurse and after spending so much time caring for my mom and her health needs, he didn’t want to return to working at a hospital after her passing.
I had just moved up to Utah after starting my own coaching business helping teens develop self-confidence, social skills, and emotional resilience. I had been a middle school teacher for 7 years, 4 of which spent as the teacher in the discipline office watching the students who were in “trouble.” That’s where I first started coaching teens. Summer of 2021, I left the education field to pursue coaching full-time. My mom passed away shortly thereafter.
My dad started looking for a business to buy, one that was all about families and that allowed for creativity. He was, after all, a man who built a bunk bed for his grandkids that was a replica of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at Disneyland.
He found an escape room for sale from a couple who was retiring. They had geared their business toward providing family-friendly escape rooms in Utah County and promised there would be lots of things to build and fix, since escape room guests can be a little “rough” on the rooms. That was a plus for my dad.
The couple, Marilyn and Lyman Momeny, talked with us several times over the phone and loved our background in theater. I was a performer at Disneyland for 7 years and the only actor is Disneyland history to have played both Darth Maul and the Mad Hatter. My family also ran our own theater production company for several years called Mass Productions (a play-off of our last name). I and my older brother would write, direct, and star in the shows. My dad would build the sets and my mom would do the costumes.
In April of 2022, we finalized the purchase of the business and are now the proud owners of Escapes in Time. We look forward to providing the same family-friendly experience customers for the past 7 years have grown to expect. We also have plans to lean into the “time machine” atmosphere and build on the immersive experience of walking into a steampunk time machine.
In addition, we have brought in my talents as a teen coach and provide Mental Resilience Escape Room experiences for youth groups and schools during the week.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle has been not having my mom around. My dad, Ron, and my brother Jonny miss having her around the house. We try to do things in her honor. She loved decorating for Halloween and Christmas, and we’ve brought that to the escape room. We’ll be re-theming a few escape rooms for the Halloween and Christmas seasons.
We just hit the one-year mark of her passing yesterday. We spent it at the escape room doing a mental resilience escape experience with a group of 16 young women, teaching them skills to build self-confidence and manage the trials of life, something I feel my mom would be proud of.
Also, my dad and I have never ran an escape room business before. So we have lots to learn! Trying to figure out marketing has been a challenge, since our location is not on any major street but tucked away and out of sight. Luckily, to make things easier, we inherited a phenomenal staff of Game Masters that give customers an experience worth telling their friends about.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have a unique background that allows me to really reach teens. As mentioned before, I was a performer at Disneyland for 7 years. I also have been professionally trained in improv comedy and ran my own family-friendly improv group in Orange County, California for 9 years called “May Contain Nuts.” I also spent a few years in Hollywood working on becoming a screenwriter until I met my wife.
My masters in education is helpful, but what really sets me apart in my ability to reach teens and their families is how I use comedy to connect with those people I work with, both in my coaching business at in Escapes in Time. I have started making funny reels on the Escapes in Time Instagram account that I just have too much fun with.
I am most proud of being known as the guy that can help teens become the hero of their own life. I have invested a significant amount of money this year in developing an app for teens called “Sidekick to Hero” that will launch at the beginning of 2023 that will provide a gamified approach for mental resilience for teens everywhere.
My dad loved the work he did with kids as a pediatric nurse at CHOC Hospital (Children’s Hospital of Orange County). He carries on that work now by being the first person his kids always call when their little ones aren’t feeling well.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Somewhere in Orem, Utah, there is a secret, hidden time machine. Shhh! Keep it quiet. But, if you happen to find it, you can take a journey throughout time to some magnificent places! Be careful, though. If you can’t escape, you and your family will be stuck in time! Use your wits, unlock the room and unlock your mind at Escapes in Time!
Pricing:
- Adults $27.99
- Teens (13-17) $19.99
- Children (6-12) $12.99
- 5 & Under Free
Contact Info:
- Website: www.escapesintime.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/escapesintime/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/escapesintime/
Image Credits
All youth in the images have signed a media release form.
