We recently connected with Mika Stutzman and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mika thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Like most ideas I have, there was no time in between my initial thought of, “I think I want to start a balloon business” to “I’ve started a balloon business”. I was one year away from having all three of my kids in school and my husband asked me, “Do you think you’ll get a job when the kids go to school?” I wanted to say no, but our bank account told me I probably should. I scrolled Facebook that afternoon and saw a friend share a photo of a balloon garland she did for someone else.

I asked, “What is this? What are you doing with balloons?” To which she replied, “It’s my new business, and it’s a whole world in and of itself. Let me show you.”

Down the rabbit hole I went.

Days later, I had my social medias created, ordered a subpar balloon kit to practice, and signed up for online balloon classes from a team in the UK. I created garland after garland in my living room until I finally landed my first job – a free gig at the local Logging Festival. But oh my gosh, they wanted me to make axes! There was no way I could make a set of axes.

(I did, and they weren’t so bad to be honest!)

As my business grew, I went from storing my balloon and backdrops inventory in my bedroom corner to leasing an office unit. Three months after I signed on my office, I upgraded it to an even bigger space. One of my first goals was to have a central location in my town of Gig Harbor. I wanted a place where people can stop by to discuss their event, order small balloon decor right away, and view backdrop/prop options. This has provided me the opportunity to do all of the above.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get requests for all sorts of balloon decor, from custom objects such as a crab, bagel, axes, and a golf pin to garlands, arches, balloon walls, mosaics, and helium bouquets. I love experimenting with different styles to be able to offer multiple pieces of decor at various price points.

Mika, 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?

It may sound crazy, but I’m proud to say I don’t overthink life’s bigger decisions. I’m a 35 year old wife and mother of 3 who acted on a whim to start a balloon decor business, and now two years later I get to sit in an office of my own and be the owner and Certified Balloon Artist for Harbor Balloons.

At Harbor Balloons, we provide organic balloon decor for any budget. If you’re wondering what “organic” refers to, it means I never create the same design twice. Sure, I have a technique when it comes to tying balloons and multiple methods for creating, but all of my on-site installations are never designed beforehand. I let my creativity flow at each location and thrive off of pure energy.

We offer DIY garland kits, grab and go options, delivery, and on-site installations that may include balloons only or balloons with rental backdrops. Think custom painted wooden arches with personalization, LED marquee numbers, sequin walls, and frames of all shapes and sizes.

The most important aspects of my business are customer service, care for quality, and willingness to work with any budget.

I often work around the clock communicating with clients, because I understand their daytime may be consumed with work, driving kids to sports, and cooking multiple dinners. My clients know they can reach out to me at any hour, and I’ll have a response within a few short hours if not immediately.

Even when I’m not communicating with my clients, I spend a lot of time fine-tuning the details of each and every order to ensure I deliver a piece that is beyond what my clients expect. I want them to feel taken care of while knowing just how much I appreciate their business.

And finally, I really wanted Harbor Balloons to be a business where no matter what a person’s budget is, they can get professional quality balloon decor. Balloons can be luxury without having to spend thousands of dollars.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I have a strong sense of loyalty when it comes to my balloon education and owe many thanks to the following:

* Katherine & team at Dress Your Daydream
* Balloon Occasions
* Sara Meyer from The Bright Balloon Podcast

There are so many badass women and men in the balloon industry and I take inspiration from them all. A few in particular are:

* Elisabeth (Pop of Color AZ)
* Lilly Roman (The Creative Heart Studio)
* Ally (Bear Balloons)
* My personal friend and fellow balloon artist Sarah (Sarah’s Celebrations Seattle)

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients have come from word of mouth.

Ensuring I remember my past clients’ names, the child who loved their unicorn mini stack, or even a small detail from a special event has aided in people wanting to share my company. I take pride in providing the best customer service possible, and I think it shows in my work and also in my communication.

Being a balloon artist means I’m welcomed into people’s homes, wedding venues, private parties. They give me the honor of being a small part in their special moment. I make sure to do everything in my power not to tarnish the trust they’ve given me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.harborballoons.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/harborballoons
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/harborballoons

Image Credits

Images are my own. 3 personal shots were taken by Sara O’Callaghan.