We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, appreciate you joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

Our company was actually created during the Covid Pandemic out of necessity. After decades in the event world, we found many event clients (mostly weddings) reaching out for advice on how to best pivot their events in a world that looked completely different (hosting events was even illegal in some areas). Our first official client reached out to us to help pivot their wedding plans and we went to contract before we even had our logo. That client has since become one of our greatest friends and supporters.

Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up in the restaurant business as a child of restauranteurs and was bit by the hospitality bug early on. After spending my younger years in the restaurant and nightlife scene, I pivoted to the event world while in college and haven’t looked back. I have spent the last two decades creating and managing successful events for restaurants, hotels and misc. venues. It was in 2020, when the world shut down that I founded The Event Collective, Events & Interiors By Ashley Brown.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I started The Event Collective, I believed that quantity of clients I was booking meant I was a success. But, as a sole proprietor, I was quickly burning at both ends and completely overwhelmed. I vowed after that first year that the quality of my clients and events were way more important than the quantity.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had to pivot ALOT in that first year. The world was shut down and events looked a lot different during that time. Some of our first few events we were taking temperatures of guests before they entered our events (still wild to think about).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theeventcollectivefl.com
• Instagram: @theeventcollectivefl
• Facebook: @theeventcollectivefl

Image Credits
@vmastudios