Just like that we have propelled ourselves into the world of festivals! The past two weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions from nervousness, fears, doubt, but mostly excitement. Back-to-Back large-scale events and I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull it off!!
It isn’t Christmas, but I had a checklist, and I was surely checking it twice (three, four, and five times)! This is what I’ve been praying for and I didn’t want to fail at the mission that God put in front of me. Sometimes, when you are a business owner you may think that your trajectory is set, but God has other plans. I knew I wanted to expand my business into the corporate market but didn’t know how or where to start. To be honest, I thought being in the Washington, DC area that I would just email various government agencies, hotels, or casinos just to see if I could make my way onto their preferred vendor list. Instead, God had people reaching out to me. This is my testimony moment! Not only did they reach out, but they also believed that I was the best designer for their festival/large scale event.
Let’s start with Color of Change. If you don’t know about them, here is some background info: Color of Change is a non-profit organization that focuses on social justice issues that affect the Black and Brown Community. Their most recent event discussed the Student Loan Debt Crisis that affect the advancement of Black People. Of course, I’m all ears on this. I would attend this event, even if I wasn’t decorating for it because the topic is that near and dear to me. One day, I get an inquiry from Patrice and she tells me that she is coordinating this event called the “Black Women’s Brunch.” I wasn’t sure the details of this, but our first virtual meeting changed the trajectory that I had set for myself. Patrice was so easy to connect with and I could tell that she had done this a few times before. During the conversation, she informed me that this event would draw 500 attendees!! Say what now!! This would be my largest event and I wanted to make sure I was prepared for it. From that moment forward, I knew that my approach to this had to be different than how I had approached other events. First thing first; line up my team, the vendors, and secure a place to arrange all of these florals. We had over 2,500 florals to process and make beautiful for the BIG DAY!! Communication is key. I consistently communicated with every person that was playing a vital role in this production. It’s the week of the event and nerves are settling in. Will we get this done on time? Will it be beautiful? Will I impress Color of Change? Most importantly, will the guest enjoy the experience that we are trying to create? This is where I have done the work, now I must let faith run its course. On August 27th, I said a prayer and did just that! We started early (7am) and worked for hours in the scorching heat. At times, I thought my team would give up but they kept marching on. In the end, I stood facing the National Monument and before my very own eyes, I saw a bright and beautifully decorated event. I looked onward as guest entered and their eyes lit up to see the amazing park transformation. I watched as the guest took photos at every corner and made comments about the gorgeous flowers. It was a proud “mama” moment and one that will forever be etched in my heart.
During the same time that Patrice had reached out, I got an email from Ellen. Ellen inquired about some of my rentals for a big festival coming to the DMV area. When Ellen said the name of this Festival, I nearly jumped out of my seat. Celebrez En Rose’, The Largest Pink Champagne & Music Festival that burst onto the DMV scene in 2019! Again, this is what I prayed for and God was blessing me abundantly. I didn’t want to fumble the ball. Shortly thereafter, Ellen introduced me to Cleveland (Founder & CEO) and Terence (Director of Event Operations). After a walk-through brainstorming session, we knew that we had to make this event something that people had never seen before! It was “Go Big or Go Home” time!! Discussions quickly moved from just rentals to floral décor that will “WOW” the guests. My team and I had the honor of doing two floral installations, showcasing our Magazine Box, and putting our LOVE Letter Prop on full display!! Again, after meltdowns and doubt, I literally cried and thanked God. We pulled it off. This event saw over 3,000 people for the entire Labor Day Weekend…impressive! My Instagram is still blowing up and emails are coming nonstop. I’m overwhelmed with joy 😊
I say all of this to say: Don’t give up on your dreams! Ask and you shall receive. When God sees the hard work that you are putting in, your prayers will be answered. Lastly, don’t get stuck on one way of doing things. The doors of opportunity are plentiful, and you never know what the route will be to your destination!
