This week I'm sharing what happened on Instagram when I asked business owners with less than 5 years experience to leave a question in the comments, and business owners with more than 5 years experience to drop in an answer. It was such a nice surprise to see how many people participated, and thank you to each and every one who did! There were a ton of great questions and great answers, including: what most successful businesses have in common getting in front of your own community instead...

I just loved hearing from Alexis in this episode, as she shares with us how she's created crowd-funded balloon installation events for the Title I schools in and around her community! Listen in to hear how you can replicate the idea in your area and become a part of the Loons' for Littles program. Alexis takes us through: how you pitch the program to your clients, including timeline how it doesn't have to be money out of your pocket the creative and logistical freedom it comes with how it...

I feel like this week's guest, Lamar, and I have such similar businesses. He comes on the show to chat about finding balance as a small business owner, giving classic and organic decor each their own due, and my favorite part... his knack for branding in every aspect of his business. We'll hear what great support he had when starting his business in college, we talk about the transition into balloons full time, (including all the transitions to the physical space of LaMarvelous Balloons over...

It was so exciting to hear how today's guests Alissa, Rachel and Aimee came together with their different skill sets to create their own line of modern and fun specialty foils! They each have their own balloon decorating businesses but as they got to know each other in their local area they realized how a team approach to this fun new business would benefit them all. We'll hear about: the first foil that sparked the dream of Burst Party Co. how they found their manufacturer & how they...

Get your notepad ready for this episode, because Megan comes back on the show to share with us some amazing tips for posting jobs and interviewing potential staff members. We'll hear how she transitioned into balloon decor, what her team looks like, how she assigns tasks and how it all requires clear and upfront communication. Not only that, but she takes us through the nuts and bolts of how to actually start the process of hiring... including exactly where she posts her jobs and why. She...

2024 Glow Retreat  Let's face it... creating content is practically its own full-time job in our businesses, because it's endless! I know so many of us feel drained with the idea, and I couldn't agree more. So in this episode I'm going to be sharing how batching and cranking out content has changed my business, and why this will be the theme of the 2024 Glow Retreat! Two things have recently changed my approach to creating content: a group coaching program and having a baby. Mainly, I've...

Dolly & Eddie of Delloons almost need no introduction. So many of us follow their great creations on social media and today, they come on the show to tell us what it's like to work in their business together as a couple, and all about the rebranding process they went through. The good, the bad and the ugly, they share a lot of insightful and relatable things about their journey that you don't want to miss. We get to hear about how their business brought them back together, what kind of...

This interview is with... me! I had the honor of being a guest on the HatsOff podcast, hosted by Amanda Rae of 17hats, and this episode features that conversation. It was really fun to tell my story and share a bit about the balloon industry on their platform! Of course we also talk about workflows and nitty-gritty process details, too... everything from "building the plane as you fly it", to business milestones and maturity, to documenting processes. Amanda Rae is a brilliant and...

Buckle in, because this episode is going to blow you away! Brittany helps creative businesses get legally legit, and beyond her 1-on-1 services she also has downloadable agreement resources specifically designed for balloon businesses! I was so impressed by Brittany and I just know that you're going to get a ton of value from this episode and her templates. We get to hear about her path to the creative and balloon industry and how she has filled a gap for us in terms of legal protection. She...

It's hard to believe that it's been over two years since we last heard Tiffany on the podcast! So needless to say, she has a lot of updates about Confetti Castle's expansions to their staff and offerings. And it was so nice to hear how she's done it while outsourcing, meaning she's been able to grow the business without having to put more in her own workload. Before we talk about the financial considerations around adding marquees into the business, we also talk about what kinds of sales can...

This week's guest works with creative businesses to make sure their branding is consistent across all platforms. From logo, to website, to email and social media, Courtney helps you bring  your brand presence across all platforms in a cohesive way. And don't miss your chance to win a VIP day with her - further down the show notes! In the episode we hear about her own background in the event industry and how your branding can affect the trust your customers have with you. She urges us to...

In this episode I'm telling you all about where I spent my money in 2023... including which category I spent more in than my entire eight-year history! I'm talking about where I overspent, where I underspent and what I'm paying for to make my business run smoothly. Listen in as I take you through how my spending landed in these categories: courses technology paid apps & software balloon-specific subscriptions paid services automation tools insurance upgrades rental products I'll also...

This episode will feature two different conversations! First, we'll hear from Katie and Kristen about how they run their businesses independently, but help each other out as needed. It's a really interesting strategy that I think we can all learn from! Then I'm also chatting with Yonnie, who shares what she's loved about her journey in the balloon industry so far. Both of the conversations felt really refreshing - I hope you enjoy them! Key points from the chat with Katie and Kristen...

I've heard the reasons that you're not sending newsletters to your customers... why you don't think it works... how you're afraid of the unsubscribes... and how you're not even sure where to start, so in this episode I'm aiming to eliminate those objections so that you can experience the kinds of benefits I've had from email marketing. First, a little tough love for the objection that "it doesn't work, because I always delete all the emails I get". I disagree! Sure, some emails might be an...

It was so nice to meet Stephany and hear about her journey to becoming a product creator! From jumping into the balloon industry after doing her child's first birthday party, to serving high-end clients internationally, she's done things few people get to do because she decided to give herself a chance. We hear what it's like to work mostly with event planners in New York City, and how she's fortunate enough to have professional photographers at almost all of her installations. Then she...

Last time Ali was on the podcast, she was still operating as a home-based business with very little help in terms of employees. Now, she's rocking her business out of a warehouse with a fleet of vehicles, but unfortunately has experienced some difficulties in hiring the right staff. We'll hear about some of those difficulties she's faced, and also: how her vehicles and warehouse have dramatically changed the way they can do business how the warehouse shifted the entire mindset about their...

Matteo is the Marketing Manager for Gemar USA and when we met at Balloon Boss Summit I learned so much about their long history and how they've created such a global brand. We covered a lot in our conversation, but two big things you won't want to miss are the new colors they have coming out and their very cool software that helps with design and production planning! You'll also hear about: the cute way the company name came to be how they brought the business over to North and South...

The rebooking workflow that I'm going to share with you in this episode has made me more money than any advertising, networking or updates to my website. It's one of the most critical updates I've made to my business in the last year and I'm sharing all the details about it! But first, what is a rebooking workflow and why is it important? For many years, I used to complete my service, archive the project and then hope that those customers would reach out to me again... leaving the ball...

For this episode, we're going to go back in time and I'll share how I would have started my balloon business knowing what I know now. After about 8 years in business, I've seen how I've gotten lucky, what I've screwed up and where I overthought. And while I don't think there's any one "right" way to start a business, I do think the order in which I'm going to go through things is probably the easiest. Here's the high-level overview: plan your business name get a free email account set up...

Tabitha and I met randomly at FLOAT years ago when each of us were brand new to the balloon decor industry and both currently working as face painters. It's been so neat to see our businesses grow in their own ways (and in similar ways) since then. In this interview, Tabitha talks about some of that growth, but also the logistics of her legendary sorority install. First, we talk about how we both relocated our families to give room for our booming balloon businesses, and the inspiration that...

I always love having Lilly on the show! In this episode, not only do we get to hear about some new products she has available for balloon artists, but we also chat about some best practices for Instagram, with quick and easy updates you can make while listening! First, we talk about your Instagram bio and how to make it appealing and informative for your audience. Lilly shares her "who, where, what and how" approach for her profile setup and we chat more specifically about the "where" and...

I'll admit - I was not prepared for all of the great advice Jo Jo gave in this interview! She and her team do all things event decor... tents, rentals, linens, chairs and of course balloons. She's built an incredibly successful business with her supportive connections in the community and I have no doubt you'll get inspired and learn something by listening to her story. Jo Jo tells us a bit about her background and how the business has grown to 13 employees and a brick and mortar location...

I'm taking a unique approach to planning the year ahead and thinking not just about my business goals, but family and personal life goals and how they all tie together. The first planning strategy is one I saw in my Instagram feed over and over before finally clicking in to learn more. It's all about finding one thing that is going to define your year, so that you can plan your personal and work life around and for it. Then, taking the time to schedule in mini-adventures that keep your...

I am so thrilled to have Tommy & Scott of Balloons by Tommy on the show for the final 2023 interview! I've always held them in my mind as the gold standard of balloon businesses and appreciate even more how kind each of them are with their knowledge and experiences. Tommy's balloon dreams started very young and he has never swayed from those dreams. We hear how he ran and grew his business while going to school, until Scott came along and they became this dynamic duo that started to...