The Rundown:

• Would you pay to be locked in a room with 10 people and solve a murder?

• How Angie Curtis turned her artistic flair for theater design into Escape Room Woodbridge.

• Escape Room offers three different themed rooms with puzzles appropriate for different age levels.

• You won’t believe what some people do in the Escape Room when the pressure is on!

• Why businesses that create memorable experiences are so addictive.

• And much more . . .

Angie Curtis turned her artistic flair for theater design into one of the area’s hottest new businesses — Escape Room Woodbridge. If you’re not familiar with an Escape Room, it’s like a life-size game of Clue. Contestants in a closed room have one hour to search for clues, solve puzzles, and escape. In this episode of Northern Virginia Advice Givers, Curtis explains why businesses that create memorable experiences are so addictive, and why business success is all about building a rapport with customers.

[0:00] Ryan Sloper welcomes Angie Curtis, co-owner of Escape Room Woodbridge, to the podcast.

[0:40] A “military brat,” Curtis lived in Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Korea before settling in Virginia.

[1:20] Artistic flair led Curtis to crafting, painting, knitting, and theater costume design. Her father’s death steered her toward studying business.

[5:20] Curtis became a medical esthetician.

[6:50] What is an Escape Room, and what led Curtis to open one?

[10:00] Businesses that create an experience are the best ones.

[13:00] Escape Room Woodbridge offers multiple themed rooms that will change annually.

[15:00] How to book a game at the Escape Room.

[16:45] You won’t believe what some people do in the Escape Room.

[19:15] How do players solve the puzzle and escape the room?

[22:20] Visit the Escape Room Woodbridge website to explore the themed rooms and schedule a time to play.

[23:20] Building a successful business is about building rapport with customers.