What Running a Business Has Taught Me About Life (And Why I Think I Do a Good Job)

When I first moved to Georgia, I knew next to nothing about (a) living away from home and (b) running a business. These last 4 years have been a massive learning experience, and life has certainly had its ups and downs of learning along the way.

I'll never forget the first time I went to the grocery store to buy laundry detergent. 

And my incredulation when I learned that laundry detergent cost... $15.00?? 

Needless to say, I had a lot to learn about life. Including do laundry at other people's places whenever they offer you the chance. 

Looking at the future now, I never would have guessed at how things would turn out, and where life would take me. Do we ever, really? I moved to Macon under a single pretense when choosing to start doing birthday party and event entertainment: It wouldn't be a serious thing, and it would bring in an extra $200 every here and there. I never could have imagined where God would take me along this journey and how it would change me. 

Some background on this: My mother runs a party entertainment business in my hometown of Orlando. We do moonwalks, costumes, face paint, balloons, princess parties, clowns, you name it. Ever since I was little, I was that kid that wanted to be a princess - forget having one at my party. I saw my mother going off the do princess parties - she looked so beautiful, her blonde hair whisped up into a bun above her head, dressed in yards and yards of shining, shimmering Cinderella blue. For years and years I waited, until finally (when my braces were off), 14 years old and still awkward, it was my turn to wear the Cinderella gown, to try my hand at face painting - the result of which was messy, sloppy but at least I could get my paint consistency right. It was a start, albeit a messy one. How did I raise my voice? How did I corral kids to play games with me or make them listen? How did I pose for pictures? And why did people keep trusting me to hold their babies? By the time I graduated high school, I had a good 4 years under my belt. I was still learning, but I had a good foundation, and most importantly the courage to try my hand at booking my own parties in what would be my new home. 

I still had a lot to learn. I started an advertisement on an entertainment site (https://www.gigmasters.com/face-painting/lacyball) and went from there, awkwardly responding to requests the summer I moved to Georgia, and trying to learn to buck up the courage to call clients on the phone, learn to talk to them, and convince them that I was the best entertainer to go with. Entertainment can be a highly competitive market. Face painters are a dime a dozen. The key is finding a way to set yourself apart, find a marketable quality about what you have to offer that sets you apart. I had yet to find it, but fall of my first of three years at Wesleyan, I started to book parties, starting at maybe 2 or 3 gigs over the summer, going to sometimes 1 a weekend, then two, and soon I was booking sometimes 2 a day, and 1 on Sunday, or a party on Friday's. 

I learned to travel. It didn't take me long to figure out that a lot of the parties were in Atlanta - not Macon - so I learned to widen my clientele base, even though traveling an hour and a half commute in a Ford F-150 was pretty much a drag. Some people would question the decision to travel as far as I did, but for me this technique worked. I was willing to travel, and also willing to keep my prices more competitively low, setting a threshold for what my income should be per party (no less than $75 after expenses). 

Early on, this technique served me well. It helped me to begin getting my name out there, not only in Macon, but in Columbus, Atlanta and Warner Robins (the surrounding areas). I always made a profit, even if there was a little more hassle. It's how I started to get my foot in the ground. And what's more, it taught me to be more confident about what I did. Mom wasn't there to book parties for me or guide me anymore. It was all me - buy supplies, get directions to parties, call my clients, make invoices, learn to deal with people. 

And a few months in, that's when I learned what my marketable quality was: in the most non-narcissistic way, it was me. The way I originally started to form my business wouldn't necessarily work for everyone or be worth it to everyone, I realize that. But the way I started to learn that I was set apart from others was a combination of many things that made me, me. I would work with clients, be flexible, if clients needed me to stay a little longer and I could, I would, I wouldn't be a stickler about every dollar. Settling for a haggled rate is sometimes better than sitting around on a weekend making no money at all. Paying attention to every child, treating everyone with kindness, being patient with everyone I met. I learned to go to all kinds of places in Georgia, rich or poor, and deal with all kinds of cultures. And perhaps the most important: passion. I always tell people I'm not "just" a girl in a costume. I run a business for profit, but I am passionate about it, too. My heart is so joyful when I bring smiles and laughter to other people's faces. It gives me energy, gives me life, gives me the taste of humanity that I need to feel compassionate and in love with the world around me. I love the children and adults I meet alike. I love the traveling, the excitement, the rush, the feeling of a job well done at the end of the day. I love the causes I sometimes work for, no matter how big or how small. No matter how bad my life might be at the time, going to parties is therapy and always cheers me up. The smiles and laughter you see on my face are genuine, even though I used to be the naturally shy, introverted teenager who couldn't dance with kids or paint more than a flower or two. I have grown, and and I truly have loved it. I remember my first time at an Indian party (and learning that trying Indian food for the first time sometimes does not agree with you). I stumbled through asking children what they wanted painted on their faces in broken spanish (Mariposa? Gato?) and learned about how loyal the Korean community can be if you treat them with respect and give them your honest time. I learned to be honest with people and listen to them. I learned to always keep a commitment - even if I was sick, which I found myself some mornings, I'd pop a Zofran, sit up from the bathroom floor and drag myself to work with a smile on my face. It takes sacrifice. I've foregone plans and social functions, given up sleeping in on the weekends or finding the opportunity to catch up on schoolwork. All without complaint, just one party at a time, treating each event as important as the one before it.

Business isn't about you, and that's the important thing. Yeah - money is great. As I began to pick up the pace of my parties and begin booking several a weekend, the cash flow for a college student was phenomenal. I was able to save money, and soon it was something I didn't even have to worry about. Going out was no problem, and if I wanted to buy something, I could. And it felt good - because I'd done that. And sometimes I'll admit it: I took the money flow too seriously, and that is something I needed to learn, too. Money is just money, and sometimes, I repeat, I emphasize: There are things more important than booking gigs and making money. Your bank account is a mere number. At first and for a long time I forgot that. I had to learn to let it go and not idolize making money. I learned to take my business as a blessing but also remember to realize where my priorities lie. And that's something I'm still learning, but I'm better at it. Taking a weekend off is not the end of the world. Is it still hard to do? Yes, yes it is. Am I still bad at taking off time for me? Absolutely. But remember that that is important too, always. God provides, but don't get carried away. You have to take care of yourself and do things good for your soul too, sometimes.

So in short, tangent aside, again, it's NOT about you. Working a gig is a promise, a spoken and unspoken contract made by me to my client. I WILL provide you with good and honest service. I WILL treat you and ALL of your guests with respect. I WILL stay until the job is done, and I won't be all about the money. I WILL work with you to meet your unique needs. I will leave my personal problems at the door. (And this has been a huge and agonizing learning experience.) I have done gigs after getting in car accidents, after breakups, when it feels like my heart is being ripped apart at the seams. I have done gigs straight-up depressed when it's hard to even force myself out of bed. I have done gigs without a car and had to rely on the good graces of my friends to drive me with only a day's notice, or less. I have done gigs when my blood sugar is making me feel awful, or I've had two hours of sleep the night before. I still suffer through lows, sweaty and shaky, and hardly have a skip in my step as I pop 4 glucose tabs and push through the debilitating weakness. I have done 5 gigs in one day and finished the last party with a smile on my face and spring in my step, regardless of my exhaustion. I will turn around, take my balloon bag out of my already loaded car to re-make a balloon for a child who is crying because they just popped theirs. 

This is life, and this is the human experience. It's worth it, every time.

This November, I came home on a Saturday night and went to the garage to do laundry 2 hours later. My tire was flat and I had a gig 2 hours away in Alabama the next day. Car places are closed on Sunday, and my car apparently had a spare but no jack. Sunday morning I called the only open car place I could find, drove on my flat to the gas station right across the street, filled the tire, stopped two more times along the 20 minute trip to refill my tire, and made it to the car place to change my tire and get to my gig on time with 15 minutes to spare. In the whole span of my event career, the only time I have ever had to cancel an event is when I learned that I had been granted a last-minute opportunity to interview for the Mercer Physical Therapy problem.

I put my clients before myself, and I feel that it makes all the difference, because while yes, I'm in business to make money, I am here for you, and I will give you GREAT service. That is a promise and always will be.

In short, starting my business has been an amazing experience. It was taught me time management. I can't procrastinate on schoolwork - I don't have the opportunity. I have to get most of my work done during the week, because weekends aren't a guarantee. I have learned about all different cultures - Chinese, Korean, Bosnian, Russian, Israeli, Spanish, African American, American, Indian... and learned to love and adore each one. I have done parties in the worst neighborhoods and I have done parties in mansions, all in the same day. I have learned that dealing honestly with people and giving them your true time will build a clientele base with loyalty that will last you years. That word of mouth and good reviews speak miles for you - and to this day, I pride myself on the fact that I have never gotten a single bad review. Business has taught me never to judge, and to think on my toes. I have done parties for thousands of beautiful human beings. Learned how to adjust games to accommodate birthday girls in wheelchairs or a party with several sweet, deaf children, deal with 40 children all pestering me for a balloon at once, to be patient even though I haven't had a chance to eat and I don't get a single break. I have learned the merit of working hard and how good it feels to provide for myself. I have learned to speak to others with confidence, to take charge of a situation and to problem solve sticky situations.

Am I young? Very. But I feel that despite my age, I can carry myself better than people older than me.  I still have a lot to learn, but I am on my way. I can talk on the phone, I can be professional, I can be an extrovert when I need to be and I can hold things together even when everything else in my life is falling apart. I can save money and play it smart, I can be business savvy, and I have learned such beautiful lessons about respect and love for others that my heart swells with pride when I think about what I do, even if it is something as seemingly unimportant as entertainment. 

My parents haven't always been able to help me the most financially, but what I got instead was something infinitely more important, I realize. I learned to take a skill, devote myself to improving continuously, and provide and make do for myself. I realize it doesn't work this way for everyone and I have been incredibly blessed in the opportunities God has granted me. My mother for teaching me, my grandfather for giving me my first car. I couldn't have started without them, and I am thankful that their help has enabled me to go so far.

God had big plans for me when I moved to Georgia - plans I never even realized possible. God has seen me through thick and thin, God has taught me numerous lessons and I am unendingly grateful for it all. For my friendships with families as a result, for my involvement with Central Georgia Autism and their beautiful cause, for my travels to all of the stunningly raw and beautiful places this state has to offer. I have learned incredible love for others and incredible self love, and confidence in what I am capable of, no matter my age, no matter the obstacles.

And it has been one of the best things about my life thus far.