Meet Russell Sebastian | Escape Room Owner and Designer

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

Hi Russell, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
There are so many things about the escape room industry that are quite unique – its a passion business that mixes art, engineering, math, logistics, creativity, and theatrics into an interactive experience for our players. Each of these traits can be explored in amazing detail, but it starts with the challenge of creating logical puzzles. When an escape room design is started, an incredible amount of work is needed to build a memorable experience. Puzzles must be designed to appropriately and seamlessly mesh with the theme of the room. Each puzzle must be logical and fair, so that the player who solves it will feel accomplishment and not frustration. Multiple puzzles must be able to be solved at the same time such that teams of players are able to find and solve activities at the same time. The puzzles must take engineering and room structure into consideration, as a plan is only as good as the execution. The ending, or reveal, must be worth the trip; the last thing an escape room wants is to have players leave an experience with a lackluster emotion as a lasting impression. These decisions are carefully crafted by game designers for each escape experience. Once the design has been finalized and approved, the team moves on to build. Aside from skill, bravery and luck are the final ingredients.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an IT professional focused primarily on IT Service Management (ITSM). One of the focus areas within ITSM is Incident Management. When something goes wrong (say for example, a website crashes) it is labeled an “Incident”. When an Incident takes place, there are protocols and strategies that are engaged in order to quickly understand the issue, and how to quickly get it resolved. In my career, I am responsible for finding the right people, coordinating the communication, promoting teamwork, keeping leaders informed, and then working/solving on the solution as swiftly as possible.

When I learned that escape rooms were a creative outlet of much the same nature, I immediately jumped at the chance. Teamwork? Solving problems? Time crunch? I knew this formula, and I knew I could create something that could be exciting. Grapevine Escape has been an amazing journey for me that has brought unique parallels between my career and my personal business.

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?
Grapevine is an amazing city with lots to do! Starting at the very southern end of Main Street, one of the best restaurants in town is Winewood Grill – crowd please menu options and the service is impeccable. Heading north, the TEXRail train system connects Grapevine to the Fort Worth Stockyards among other areas of the metroplex. Just north from there, AJs on Main has amazing barbecue and should not be missed. Wine Fusion is directly across from there with great wine, food and beverages! If you are into wine, Bingham is directly across the street, and just up a few blocks is Sloan & Williams. Both of these wineries have great wine and excellent atmosphere! Keep moving north on Main and you will see the Texas General Store, where you can get lost in awesome Texas souvenirs to purchase. Napolis is an amazing Italian restaurant and bar! Finally, if you keep moving north, you will finally reach, you may have guessed, Grapevine Escape 🙂

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife and co-owner Amber is the reason our escape room passion lives today. She is an amazing, hard-working, dedicated, thoughtful, business-oriented woman. Our small business is successful due to the daily effort that she puts in to incredible leadership, giving her time and energy to Grapevine Escape. In addition, Amber finds time to participate as an Ambassador with the City of Grapevine, to which I am amazed, humbled and incredibly proud. I am fascinated by her abilities and I work hard to match her energy and experience. She deserves incredible accolades for Grapevine Escape – her works and effort are on full display, every day.

Website: http://www.thegrapevineescape.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegrapevineescape/

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

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/grapevine-escape-grapevine