Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Victoria Rice. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Victoria, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I came up with this idea during the beginning of the shut down during Covid. With plenty of time on my hand I started browsing through Pinterest and saw this beautiful teepee slumber party (can’t remember the company name). Being that no one was really having big parties at the time. I thought it would be something I could do for my daughter’s birthday which was coming up in November of that year, thinking it was 2019 or 2020. I started planning it for 8 of her close’s friends, and the party was a success. After getting so many compliments, I decided to go in with the idea full force. I remember my very first bookings. The themes were TikTok and Paris, and it was for a party of ten. It must had been pure luck because I ended up booking two parties for a total of 10 guests each party. My vision is my gift and for each sleepover I try doing something different. I think what makes me different from other companies is the passion I have for making kids smile. That is the greatest feeling ever. The kids look forward to these parties and honestly, I think the parents are more exciting than the kids are.

These parties are different. We use different varieties of tents. We offer many themes and colors. We are located in Houston Texas. My plans are to keep growing until I am able to retire my daily job. This has really open doors for me, and I have so much more that I am planning to add on to this business. There is still time to grow and be successful at this. The outcomes are worth it. The feeling is undescribed yet a blessing. Who would have known a girl from Gainesville Alabama would one day own her own business? I enjoy every moment of it, and without a doubt, I will create more amazing sleepover that creates more beautiful memories. I am claiming booked and busy for the upcoming year.

Victoria, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Victoria. I am from Gainesville Alabama. I am a wife, a mother of 3, and grandmother of 2 beautiful girls. I moved to Houston in 2009. I work at as a preschool teacher, and I love working with kids. I have been teaching for 12 years. I have always been told that I am gifted with been creative and one day, I should consider being a party planner. Never thought about it until the pandemic hit. Money was becoming an issue. After discovering teepee parties, I decided to give it a try. Teepee parties are basically parties where we use different styles of tents to create the most magical sleepover ever. It’s pretty unique when it’s all put together. What set me apart is, the neatness of my parties, my creativity, my vision of how I want it to look when I am done, and I never over think any parties. I want people to know that i am very professional and I take each party to the next level. My work is amazing and i would love to keep my vision and work ethics going. I really love what i do and making these parties one of a kind. I would love to continue giving people opportunities to create memories with their kids, family, and friends because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the main things I had to unlearn is that most of my support did not come from close friend and family. Most of my support came/come from strangers and clients. Building my clientele wasn’t easy at all but have picked up tremendously.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

At one point in time, I thought I could do this all by myself, but reality kicked in quick. My first thought was to hire someone to help. That changed quick as well. I now have my daughter helps and she really good to. Life can definitely be challenging if you don’t have the help that is need. I took a break in between finally letting my daughter help. Time to rethink a lot of stuff. Like, who to hire, will they be willing to travel and do setups by themselves, will they be ok with getting paid a certain amount by the hour? It was a lot! I think I on a paused for about 2 months. Just took Some time to rethink things. This business can be overwhelming and sometimes breaks are necessary.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.slumberpartydreamz.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/slumberpartydreamzhtx
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/slumberpartydreamzhtx
• Other: TikTok: slumber party dreamz