We recently connected with Kynia Hill and have shared our conversation below.
Kynia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
Without question, the holiday season is my favorite time of year. I unapologetically get to bring out the holiday besties… 15 foot Christmas trees, 12 foot garlands, flowers, ribbon, lights, and GLITTERED EVERYTHING! All the things that bring those warm, fuzzy feelings of love, hope, and family togetherness get put on full display for everyone to enjoy. What if I could create events for people that elicit that kind of emotion each and every time? How can I provide every client with an encounter that feels like so much more than JUST an event? The answer? Holiday Hill Couture Events and Decor! I work to understand each client’s wishes BEYOND the big picture. I work to give my clients an immersive experience… their very own holiday. Every detail of their event speaks to their personality. I look for elements that evoke the very spirit of celebration, excitement, wonder, whimsy, and sheer joy. I turn dreams into holidays!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Kynia Hill…a pretty simple girl. I love God, my husband, our 5 children, our 2 glam-children, and the village we call our family. I’ve always been a crafter. My mom and I used to spend hours shopping for beautiful home decor. We’d buy a wreath, take it apart, and totally reinvent it, putting it back together with additional enhancements. As I got older, I loved seeing the reactions from people that I designed wreaths, centerpieces, and event florals for.
As a designer, it’s important to me to be able to give my clients everything they dream their day to be, and supersede their expectations in my execution. We use only the best materials and equipment, so our clients can expect that every detail is high quality, and uniquely customized to their experience. We own the equipment needed to personalize many of the features included in our designs, so we don’t have to depend on outsourced vendors and long shipping delays. One of the things that sets me apart in this industry is being able to actively listen. A pitfall for many industry professionals is that they try to force the client to buy into their own personal recreations of the day instead of taking the client’s hearts desire, and building upon that. Not here. I listen. I hear. I design. I want each and every one of my clients to feel that I’ve worked to give them a day that is unlike anyone else’s day. I want the experience they share with their guests to be enjoyably memorable. I want each person to feel as if they never want the day to end… it’s their own personal, exclusive holiday!
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Holiday Hill Events was born out of the love of bringing people together, and creating the pomp and circumstance flair of grand experiences. I was literally the jack of many trades, and had to narrow down where I wanted to focus. When I first started, I was working Monday- Friday for a non- profit, writing curriculum for early childhood professionals. On the weekends, I’d design and build seasonal decor items to sell on my crafts website and on Etsy. I started getting commissioned to make event centerpieces, runners, and personalized event items. Then, one day the non-profit announced that funding had run out… but I wasn’t alarmed. I figured this was God’s confirmation that He wanted me to focus on building this business, and the only way to do that was to eliminate the distraction of what was then my 9-5 job of curriculum writing and training. I had to QUICKLY figure out how to build a competent, energetic team, and become a master designer and consultant in the events industry. I surrounded myself with those that are highly successful, and invested in myself by earning credentials validating my status as an Accredited Event Designer, and a Professional Event Florist. I’ve taken measures to learn about the equipment, materials, and technology features world industry leaders are using, and use them in my business. I practiced for countless hours perfecting techniques and working alongside other event professionals. I am grateful for ALL of the many early opportunities that were given to me; all of the open doors, practice events, staged events, apprentice gigs, and family events. Each of those stepping stones helped to pave my way.
Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?
Holiday Hill benefits from the other business ventures my husband and I have. Snipits ‘n Clipits (Home Decor & More) and Serenity Woodworks both provide the ability to personalize just about anything. Snipits ‘n Clipits began as seasonal home decor: wreaths, Christmas tree installations, etc. It grew into laser engraved everything… hence the personalization. Serenity Woodworks started off as my husband’s outlet for creativity, and turned into a bit of a side hustle when he began selling personalized ashtrays, porch signs, and man-cave pieces for friends that were avid sports fans, fraternity brothers, and novelty gift-givers. Things really took off once we introduced customized charcuterie boards and serving trays. With a market of people wanting to add unique, high end elements to their event decor, these 2 other businesses help to provide the clients of Holiday Hill things that other designers would have to outsource. Snipits ‘n Clipits can make etched glass flutes and gold menu cards for the wedding reception, and Serenity Woodworks makes the live edge wood estate table with the couples wedding logo engraved into it that will be used as the grazing table. We do it all ourselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.holidayhillevents.com
- Instagram: @holidayhillevents
- Facebook: holidayhillevents
Image Credits
Anthony Hill Photography IWED Global