I am a T.V. host, author and inspirational speaker and
love to be inspired while being creative. When I am writing, planning an event,
decorating for a party, painting, choosing an outfit for something spectacular,
or thinking up a new workshop, it is extremely helpful when someone or
something inspires or teaches me. Creative inspiration can sometimes come from
a speaker at a seminar I attend that gives me a new idea, or my Mom showing me
a new painting she created. It comes from a look at new fashions on the Romeo
& Juliet Couture website and falling in love with them to wear, as I
visualize my confidence and success at the events I could wear them at. Often, I come up with amazing ideas as I go
on adventures with my two daughters to a botanical gardens or a park. The
inspiration is endless.
As I am currently planning a huge red carpet book
launch event, there is so much to do with the DJ, food, decorations, speakers,
venue, topics and more. I began to think of where I have received both the
learning and the inspiration for being able to plan large events like
this. It was from a great friend of
mine, Corinne Carr. Corinne and I used to be roommates, and have known each
other for over ten years. She is a highly successful event designer/decorator,
interior designer and businesswoman who balances it all. She is a true
“mompreneur.” I used to go help her with big events such as a huge birthday
party at an art gallery, a charity fundraiser for a big hockey team, or a giant
bash for a famous Hollywood star. I learned
the ropes from her, as I observed her artistic talent, and organization. I
realize that this is why my events are always so seamless and fun. I am so
grateful to Corinne, and feel that she has so much wisdom to offer others, so I
decided to interview her.
How did you get started and when? Talk about
your climb to success.
My background is in interior design, but really, art and designing has
always been a huge part of my life. Both
of my parents are artists, and I just grew up with art all around me. While I
was still in school for interior design, I actually started Creative Occasions,
and my very first event was a birthday party for a five year old in California . That was sort of like starting at square one,
and now I've grown the business into what it is today. We do large scale events, huge parties and
celebrations – and also private events and parties.
I don't think someone's climb to success, at least for me, is ever
really finished. There's always room for
improvement, room to do bigger and better events. And for me, it’s not so much about finding
success as it is about following dreams and doing something that I absolutely
love. I feel fortunate that my passion
is what I get to do every day!!
I know that business success is important because each event we do has
to be perfect, we have to bring each client’s event to life – and when we do
that right, that is success. But I’m also very blessed to have an awesome
husband and two wonderful daughters.
Personal success is equally, if not more important, than business
success. I’m grateful that my husband is
super supportive of the business, and in fact he became a part of it over 4
years ago. So together we get to share
in both personal and professional success!
Explain your path to getting to where you are
now? How long did it take?
I’ve always been a really hands on type person. When I was a kid, I used to love to help my
dad in the garage. I would work on
different projects around the house with my mom. I was never afraid to get involved with a
project and get dirty in the process, so I think that building props just came
naturally to me. I’m all too familiar
with getting paint all over me while building, but then I also get to dress up
for client meetings. It’s almost like
leading a double life.
To get where you want to be, I think it’s a continual process, at least
it has been for me. Things constantly
change in this industry. We always need
to create new and bigger props, and we’re always working in new venues and
spaces. I like to say that the one thing
that stays the same is that everything always changes.
What's the best way to market and build
clientele?
Referrals! Referrals are key in
this business. And if you’re good at
what you do, they will roll right in. If
you think about it, every guest at an event is a potential client. And what better way for them to see what you
can do than by experiencing it first-hand.
When a client is happy, they will tell their guests and friends. So definitely referrals make up a big part of
our clientele.
Another good portion of our customers are actually repeat clients. We have some that start out as corporate
clients, maybe for a company celebration, and then the client will call us for
a wedding or baby shower. Repeat clients
make us proud because it means what we’re doing something right!
To get new clients, I also find that direct, one-on-one meetings are a
great way to show a client what we have to offer. I’m super passionate about what I do, and I
think that is conveyed in those meetings.
Describe your work ethic.
To be in the event and design industry, and to be successful at it, you
have to be a hard worker – and I am! I’m
also a perfectionist, which is a good thing in this business. I always go above and beyond for every event
and every client. To me, your event has
to be special, no matter what it is or what your budget. The budget doesn’t dictate the type of
service you get. Every client gets the
same level of service from us, which is personal service with attention to
every single detail.
What's life like as a working mom and how do
you balance it all?
Laughter! I think that no matter
what you do as a working mom, you never feel completely balanced. I’m a mom, a sister, a wife, a dog rescuer, a
business owner… I’m pulled in so many different directions. I wish I could
increase the 24 hours to 48 hours in a day!
I truly believe that it’s not so much about the amount of time spent with loved ones, but more about the quality of
the time spent. Make sure you’re doing
something fun or meaningful. Just today
I had a couple hours where I got to take my two girls bowling. It meant getting away from work, not being at
the computer, ignoring the ringing cell phone and pings of text messages. I just needed to be with my daughters and
spend that quality time with them. Then
later in the day, it was back to work for me – working on proposals pretty much
for the rest of the day. But spending
that time with my girls rejuvenated me and reminded me of why I do what I
do! It’s all for them and my family.
Describe any failures you had in your business
and how you turned them into learning or gifts?
Failure is a harsh word and I believe that any shortcoming can be
looked at as a learning opportunity. I
started Creative Occasions in California ,
and I grew and learned from my early time in the business and industry
there. When I came to Arizona , I felt that I got to start fresh
with all that knowledge! I knew what
would work and what wouldn’t. Learning
from your own experiences is so valuable.
And when you can recognize that you have certain weaknesses in addition
to your strengths, you can find people who will complement your own abilities,
or who can do something better than you, which will be beneficial for your
business. Matt and I are a good team and
him coming on board with the business was a blessing and a gift.
Describe
your most successful moment in your business and personal life.
When we purchased a piece of land and built the new warehouse and I saw
it full of the props we built – and then actually outgrew that space in just a
few months – that’s one of my proudest moments in the business. Like I said before, that climb to success is
never really over and done with for me.
But when I stood back and saw all that we’d accomplished inside that
warehouse, I had that completely satisfied and fulfilled feeling. Whenever I go into the warehouse, I just feel
like a kid in a candy store. And a silly
little early-on moment of success for me was back when I was in California,
just starting out, and I received a tip for an event I did – and the tip was
bigger than my first event budget! Like
I said, it’s silly but it really settled on me that a customer was truly happy
with what I did and wanted to go above and beyond to thank me for it.
In my personal life, success for me has been to watch my children grow
and the interaction between the two of them.
One is 4 years old and the other is only 10 months old, but seeing them
together is my personal success. It
makes all of the hard work I do for the business worth it. I can’t wait to see what they will be in the
future. Will they be artists? Entrepreneurs? I can’t wait to see what their lives will
become. It’s very exciting to think
about!
What's the best way to get into event decorating?
If you're passionate about it, you’ll find a way to get into the
business. Some of it can be taught, but
some of it is just natural talent. And
more than people realize, they are
artistic! Each and every one of us has
an artist inside. It might be harder
work for some, but when someone taps into their own talents and abilities,
people are surprised with what they can create!
Just find a way to be creative in your own everyday life. For me, as a child I constantly re-decorate
my bedroom. Every month, I’d try
something different. It’s also important
to really see the world around
you. You can find inspiration
everywhere; magazines, clothing, of course traveling. I see things when I’m just out and about at a
store, or even daycare, and it sparks an idea.
Basically, just figure out what you
like and start decorating and designing.
There are so many different facets of design out there – interior
design, web design, event design. Just
go look around and see what inspires you!
And of course it can never hurt to have a mentor!
Describe a few major tips on how to make your
event or party more fabulous.
Well,
hire Creative Occasions, of course! Just kidding… Right now, mixing
numerous fabric colors and textures is really popular -- the camera loves it,
too, so you are guaranteed some fun and interesting photos! And in this
industry, bigger is always still better. Big props and tall centerpieces
really make an impact on your guests when they come into your event! And
if you're working on a tighter budget, "bigger" can give the illusion
that you spent more money to create your fabulous looking event.
A
personalized take home gift is not only a great memory of the event, but it can
also provide your guests with an unforgettable experience. It could be a
photo or an interactive video -- there are so many options these days! Be
creative and imaginative, but always remember to let your personality shine
through!
Most importantly, if you are the one hosting the event, be sure to
smile and have fun. Once the party has begun, it’s your job to be the hostest
with the mostest! You are the one who sets the mood, so enjoy the event
like you're one of the guests!
Describe your attitude and philosophy related
to business.
Whatever time and energy it takes to get the job done right – I’ll do
it! I always want to exceed every
client’s expectations. The event design
business can be tough and try people’s patience. But the only time I actually like to see someone cry is when they
walk into the decorated room for the first time and become so overwhelmed with
what Creative Occasions has designed for them.
Those are the good kind of tears!
Corinne Carr can be found at www.creativeoccasions.com Her husband Matt Carr and her daughters
travel for business and fun and are the most fab event decorators around!
Kim Somers Egelsee can be found at www.kimlifecoach.com Her new book,
“Getting Your Life to a Ten +; tips and tools for finding your purpose, being
in your power and living an amazing life” will be launched on March 14th
! Buy a copy on Amazon between 9-11am Pacific time and help make it a best
seller!
Know yourself well; step back and analyze what you are doing, who you are spending time with, and your choices.