We recently connected with Alison Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alison, thanks for joining 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
I’ve always been the type of person that loves to be the leader so when I realized I wasn’t happy working for someone else I decided I was going to create my own company. Once an idea enters my mind I’m determined to make it happen, it basically becomes my obsession. Ultimately I had the passion for people, but I didn’t have the full business background. I began researching “how to start a business” and I actually had notes from one of my college courses that explained the different types that there are and how to understand the pros and cons of each. The most important piece was coming up with a name, it was also the hardest. I’m a big list person so I essentially just wrote out as many words and phrases that I felt represented my personality and narrowed it down until I found the perfect fit. After choosing the name I had to register it as an LLC with the state and I put that off for quite awhile as I struggled with the unclear directions. I eventually got it setup and next I met with an accountant who walked me through the basics of legally running my LLC and ensured my taxes were going to be properly prepared and that everything I’d done so far was accurate. Then I was able to purchase a domain, build my website, and pay for advertising. All of this led to me officially launching and sharing my brand with everyone. It was an incredible feeling to have made it to this point and I had no clue where it would take me, but I was all in.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I’m a wedding planner based in the Midwest and my path to ending up in this role was unpredictable to say the least. I had always been very into fashion. I grew up watching Project Runway with my mom and I thought to myself “I want to go to fashion school and become a designer.”
When I learned that Iowa State University had a fashion program, my dream seemed a bit more attainable. So I fully committed to my major and attended classes creating mood boards, and learning art history. The concepts we were studying were fun, but I just couldn’t see myself continuing into the sewing courses. So I changed my major. First to journalism and public relations then to interior design. Yet again I found myself being allowed to express my creativity through design projects, but honestly I can’t draw and a huge part of the process is applying to the program you want to specialize in. I knew my portfolio just wasn’t going to make the cut with how competitive it was.
Finally I made one last switch to Event Management. It took my natural leadership abilities and showed me how I could turn them into a career. I fell in love with the idea of wedding planning. I had that “aha” moment where it just made sense. The versatility of weddings offered me both a creative outlet and the structure I was used to. Everything I studied in my previous majors had a purpose and each field gave me the ability to provide my clients with a unique perspective. From memorizing architecture styles to practicing color theory, all of the elements were broken down and explained so that we could create designs intentionally. One of my favorite classes that I took was the floral design class where we had a local floral shop owner teach us everything that goes into a floral piece. We had fresh flowers each week and a type of arrangement assigned that we got to keep. I even memorized 82 different kinds of flowers and their proper names. I also had first dibs on the hospitality classes where I made a cocktail recipe for a group project, and tasted 6 new wines or spirits a week. By the end of the semester I had tried around 100 kinds of alcohol. Sounds awesome, right? However, our professor was an expert and the extensive exams were no joke. There was so much valuable information that I had no clue how to utilize at the time.
I believe those opportunities gave me a greater appreciation for the vendors I work side by side with today. Having hands on experience, I gained a sense of how hard they each work and the skillset required to do their jobs. I use this insight and share it with my clients in hopes that they’ll have a better understanding of the services they’re paying for and that it’s well worth the money to have a professional provide their expertise.
I pride myself on being very open to new ideas and one of my favorite things is hearing what my couples want to do. My hope is that they feel comfortable enough to be themselves around me and that I’m able to curate a day that represents them. My brand is all about being authentic and placing personality back into weddings.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
One of the best things I did for myself and my business was investing in a coach from the wedding industry. I feel like I’d hit a wall and was stuck in a routine of handling the logistical side, but not letting my creative side thrive. I’d been following multiple coaches on Instagram, but hadn’t yet found one that necessarily fit my style. The info. seemed great, but I wasn’t connecting with it. I received an email with an offer of “$1 for 1 week” and decided to finally take the leap. It honestly was such an instrumental choice in elevating my business. The style paired perfectly with mine and it made education enjoyable. Once I started watching the courses it clicked why I do what I do. Every single thing you do in your business should serve a purpose that aligns with your goals. It almost transported me back to those college courses and reminded me to find inspiration everywhere. The idea of finding inspiration outside of the wedding industry was so simple yet genius because I hadn’t looked at it that way. To look at fashion, interior design, architecture and lean into those passions and use them for inspiration. It’s so valuable as an entrepreneur to stay true to who you are and focus on your future. It can be so easy with social media these days to get caught up with what the “competition” is doing, but that does nothing positive for you. By shifting my mindset I’ve been able to really define what my business is, who it serves, and what that looks like. It’s turned me into a better, happier business owner and I’m eager to keep growing.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media has changed so much and you really do have to change with it. Before I had a business, I took posting on my personal account very seriously. I am all about curating a grid that is aesthetically pleasing and I even ended up posting in sets to guarantee it all fit together. My favorite task is coming up with captions. I’ve probably spent way too much time writing captions so that they match the photo they’re paired with.
When I had to start posting for my business it was a lot harder than I expected. Not everyone is going to like your page on Facebook, the majority of your Insta followers are probably past, current, or future clients and the vendor friends you’ve made. There’s nothing wrong with that because in reality, that is your audience. So I think understanding who your audience is and then setting realistic expectations takes some of the pressure off of building your presence. I didn’t really have a social media strategy in the beginning. I posted photos that made me happy and I just wanted to share the moments that I played a part in.
I’d say the best advice for those trying to figure out social media is to just be yourself. There are all these rules which just takes the fun out of it and makes it feel like a chore. Until you’re at a point where you can/want to hire a social media manager there’s only so much you can do on your own without it being an exhausting task. Just create content until it feels normal to you. Definitely take the time to credit vendors when credit is due. I think it shows respect and creates trust which is so necessary in this industry because it’s a team environment plus then your potential clients are able to see who you prefer working alongside. Also stop worrying solely about the numbers. It truly doesn’t matter how many likes you get or followers that you have, if they aren’t made up of your target audience it isn’t serving you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lustforlifeevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lustforlifeevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lustforlifeevents
Image Credits
Christa Schiessl Photography Jennifer Mercier Photo