Balloons Mean Business with Katherine Lyndon & Michelle Lemmer

This week, we touch on a subject responsible for causing a lot of stress and overwhelm in the balloon industry - Copy Cats. We dissect the term and differentiate it from taking inspiration and setting trends. We also learn how to approach a colleague when we feel they are copying our work word by word, and what the best way is to hop on a trending theme and put our own spin on it.  What You'll Learn: - Why it is so common to find really similar works in our industry - Why we shouldn't see imitations of our work as something negative or take it personally - How to approach someone that is copying our work - Why being inspired by someone else's work is not a bad thing, and how we should deal with it Today's episode is a reality injection - we won't sugar-coat the fact that you'll find many copycats in the industry. We can focus on taking the positives from its existence instead of being affected by it or stressed, since the issue will be there regardless.  Resources: - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of working with celebrities and influencers. We go through some of the events we did for influencers and share the valuable lessons we learned from those experiences. We also talk about the value of doing giveaways and competitions and how to leverage your local community to get more bookings.  What You'll Learn: - Our first experiences working with influencers - was it worth the effort? - Paid or unpaid events bring the same amount of pressure over our shoulders - The benefits of strategically picking a celebrity, influencer, or micro-influencer to work with  - The value of word of mouth, and why we should never overlook it - The benefits of doing competitions and giveaways - Why connections are so important to leverage your local community Before working with a celebrity or an influencer, there are a couple of things you must have in place. Always remember your work's value, and evaluate the benefits you'll get from working with a local or international influencer. Be specific and intentional, and ask yourself what you want to achieve with that collab: followers, bookings, growing your name in the local community?  Resources: - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

This week, we discuss the highs and lows of the industry. Although the events business has definitely more highs than lows, the latter can be quite challenging, and you need to be prepared for them. In this episode, we have fun sharing our experiences in the industry and what they have taught us. We share some tips on dealing with unsettling clients, and we give you the sign you were waiting for if you're still doubting joining this industry's beautiful madness.  What You'll Learn: - How we felt when we started our journey and what that taught us about the importance of community - Why keeping a curious and open-to-learn mindset will make the difference for you - The importance of getting to know your clients and letting them know you - Why it is impossible to ever get bored in the events business industry - How to deal with self-criticism, the copycat effect and self-doubt Like in any industry, the beginning always feels like diving into a deep ocean - it's lonely and you feel out of place, unsure of what to expect and from where it'll come. One of the best things to do is to get close to like-minded people, regardless of where they are in their journey. You can help grow and evolve those behind you and learn from the ones ahead in the game.  Resources: - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

Welcome back to the show! Today we'll give you some tough love on what we've learned about the excuses we make to justify why we can't achieve our goals. We'll focus on time, or more precisely, the lack of it - perhaps one of the most used excuses to explain why our endeavours are not moving forward. What You'll Learn: - Why excuses can turn into a block if we don't pay enough attention to them - Sometimes it's not about how much time we have but about how bad we want something - How to deal with guilt as a mompreneur when taking time for ourselves - Why it is crucial to avoid comparisons when thinking of how we spend our time - How to gain confidence by putting the time into our business - How accountability and self-compassion can help us use our time more efficiently - The importance of finding a balance between maximising our time and self-care Change demands actions. We can't expect any change if we don't modify how we think, plan and execute our daily tasks. Rethinking the use of our time is crucial to improving and growing our business; however, working ourselves to exhaustion is not the answer. We must make time in our day to take care of ourselves, unplug from our company, and recharge to be our best version at home and in our business.  Resources: - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

Today, we are going to talk about creating a good customer experience. Last time someone asked you for a recommendation about a place to eat, which restaurant did you recommend? Our guess is you probably mentioned a place where you had an incredibly good time. This is the same thought process that runs through the mind of all your clients. You want to be the person that meets and exceeds customer expectations. And it all starts by creating a positive customer experience. What You'll Learn: - What is customer experience? - Why positive customer experience is so crucial for your business - How to measure customer experience - How to make an excellent first impression  - The difference between customer service and customer experience - Tips on how to improve customer experience - Why you need to ask for feedback and reviews after a completed project  Positive customer experience is crucial to the success of your business. A happy customer is more likely to become a loyal customer, and the most influential piece of marketing you need is a customer who promotes your business through word-of-mouth. Lastly, it's much easier to retain existing clients than it is to attract new ones. That's why most of your efforts should be centred around making your existing customers happy.  Resources: - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

Today, we're going to talk all about community over competition. We know you've already heard that phrase community over competition a million times, and some people might think it's all feel-good, non-essential stuff. However, being part of a community is really the most powerful thing you can have in the event styling business.  What You'll Learn: - What is a community? - How to cultivate a community-over-competition mindset - Leveraging the power of association and scaling your community - Prioritising collaboration as a vehicle for community growth - The benefits of being part of a tribe - How to overcome success-induced jealousy and comparisons  - How to handle the pros and cons of being part of a community - The open-minded and open-hearted approach to community We all love competition. It forms the core of modern civilisation, and society is better because people compete. However, more successful businesses aren't concerned with how much of the marketplace their competitors are taking. Instead, their primary focus is on how they can best serve their customers. If we could all focus on serving our customers instead of competing, the events space would be a far much better space to work in.  Resources:  - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

In this episode, we talk about becoming and showing up as an expert in the events industry. The traditional route towards becoming and being recognised as an expert is spending a lifetime in the industry or earning numerous relevant certifications along the way. But the traditional method takes a long time and is impractical for the new event stylist who wants to enter the events space as a top player. That's why we believe anyone can be an expert, as long as they're credible and bring their A-game every time they show up. What You'll Learn: - How to show up as an expert - How to build trust around your personal brand - Why giving mediocre and generic tips to prospects is not the way to go - Building authority in your niche - The journey towards building a credible brand  - How experts respectfully say no to some clients - The power of constantly showing up  - How to help your customer pick you Remember, for most of your clients, this is going to be the first and maybe the only time they'll ever need an events stylist. So, in their confusion, it would be best if you led them down the right path, even if it means highlighting that you may not be the right fit for a particular project.  Resources:  - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

Today, we will cover practical strategies on how to make a profit in your event styling business. You've probably heard of people who start their event styling business and instantly make a ton of money. The reality is that for most of us, it usually takes years before we make a sustained profit, but we all need to be prepared for when that time comes. What You'll Learn:  - How to consistently make a profit from your business - Managing expenses and eliminating costly activities - How to overcome the Instagram highlight reel effect - How to correctly price your products or services - Why you need to reinvest in your business - Tapping into the power of consistency - How to market your business as a total newbie - Understanding the financials and creating a business map As a business, you need a consistent flow of cash coming into the business to meet the demands and costs of staying open. After all, the ability to make money and generate profit is crucial to the survival of your events business. It would also help if you grew your business' ability to make surplus funds to invest in growing your business. Resources:  - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

In this episode, we will explain the meaning of "being fully booked" and reveal strategies that will help you remain fully booked in your business. Being fully booked is every event stylist's dream. Unfortunately, very few stylists achieve that status, and the ones that come close rarely maintain it for the long haul or get burnt out in the process. The good news is that with a bit of effort and the right strategy, everyone can banish the dry months from their business.  What You'll Learn: - How to become and remain fully booked  - The difference between burnout and being tired - How to fail your way to success - How to work hard but not get burnt out - Why you need to have an email database - The benefits of finding your 'why' - How to create a sustainable business model - Where and how to find clients - Guarding and protecting your reputation with your life Becoming fully booked is a significant business milestone that you absolutely must be proud of. Yet, becoming fully booked is only the first piece of the puzzle. You need to remain fully booked and still watch out for burnout. Burnout is a motivation killer, and the last thing we would want is to lack motivation on our way to becoming fully booked.  Resources:  - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

In today's episode, we will talk all about building your own personal brand. It's no secret, in the current event planning business environment, everyone needs a brand. Long gone are the days when stylists only needed a logo to stand out. Yes, you do need to have a logo, but you must have something extra that defines your brand identity. What You'll Learn: - What is a brand? - How to build your own personal brand - Create the story behind your brand - How to build trust and maintain a positive reputation in your business - The benefits of a good first impression - How to research your target audience and your competitors - How to pick your focus area and personality - Choosing the look for your brand - How to apply your brand identity across your business If you think about it, you are your own personal brand. You have a distinct face, an almost unique name and a particular way of communicating. The same should be true for your business. The name, products or services, logo, colours, voices and reputations should be unique only to you. Nonetheless, the most important aspect of it all is maintaining consistency as you extend your brand to every part of your business.  Resources:  - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

In this episode, we are talking about finding your niche and why niches are crucial for your business and brand success. We live in a world where there's a common belief that it's bad for a business to have a specific focus. The concern is that focusing on a particular niche area does not give your brand the room it needs to grow or thrive. However, we believe the opposite is true. Finding your niche, working to hone your skill set and building your expertise around a specific area of interest gives you the legs to withstand the test of time. What You'll Learn:  - What is a niche? - How to settle on a niche  - Why sometimes it's okay to say no to certain clients - How to trademark and develop your style - Why it's never a good idea to use Pinterest images as portfolio samples - How to research and find your target audience - How to build a strong portfolio as a total newbie Having a business niche, especially in the events business, is not a sentence to a life of mediocrity. On the contrary, having a singular focus can be highly profitable because it helps you master industry-relevant skills and strategically grow other complementary services. Remember, if you try to serve everyone, your overall message won't speak to anyone. Resources: - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

In this episode, we'll go through the process of turning your side hustle into a full-time event planning business. If you find yourself working in the events industry in your spare time and are thinking about turning your side hustle into a full-time business, we've got good news for you. It's all possible, as long as you put in the work, thoroughly prepare for what's coming and just keep showing up.  What You'll Learn: - How to turn your side hustle into a full-time business - Where and how to get more clients for your business - Why you need to start small but think big  - The benefits of working hard and believing in yourself - How to cultivate a success mindset - The value of appropriate pricing - The tasks you should outsource if you're short on time or lacking in skills - How to become a freelance event planner The reality of transitioning your side hustle into your main business is that you have to be incredibly good at time management. As you learn the ropes of running a full-time business, you're probably always going to be short on time. And so sacrifices are very important at this stage in time.  Resources: - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique

In this episode, we are talking about setting up your event styling business for success. To succeed in the current competitive business climate, you need to be a fast learner, be flexible, and have good planning and organisational skills. Many people start an event styling business thinking that they'll simply open their doors or turn on their computers and begin making money. But it's rarely that straightforward.  What You'll Learn: - Why you need to clearly define what success means to you -Don't be in a rush to achieve success - Why you should never stop learning - How to overcome the shiny objects syndrome - Where to get support from like-minded people - How you can guarantee quality in everything that you do - The benefits of outsourcing for your business Success is every event planner's dream. But, having the right mindset is critical. If you picture yourself as someone who will one day succeed, then success will be a lot easier to achieve.  Resources:  - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique 

Have you been daydreaming about starting an event planning business? Perhaps you've even helped one of your friends plan a few parties in the past. Or maybe you're intrigued by how immaculate balloon designs look on the day of the event. It doesn't matter what the motivation behind your fantasy might be, there's never a lousy reason to pursue this profession.  In this podcast series, Katherine Lyndon and Michelle Lemmer will be sharing everything you need to know about building a creative events business and helping you overcome all the challenges along the way. Balloons Mean Business Podcast will help you to launch and scale your events planning business, reach out to others in the industry who may be able to guide you, and understand that you don't have to be perfect when you can be great. Throughout these episodes, you will learn how to cultivate a learning mindset and where to get event planning insights and experience. We believe that anyone with the right mindset, passion and dedication can make it in the events industry. But everyone needs a helping hand. That's why we'll be sharing our journey, tips, and strategies we've so far implemented that will help you build your own event stylist business.  Resources:  - Get our FREE guide on how to make money instantly in your events business https://bit.ly/balloonsmeanbusiness   - Connect with Katherine Lyndon https://www.instagram.com/dressyourdaydream/  - Connect with Michelle Lemmer https://www.instagram.com/theventsclique