We were lucky to catch up with Kate Fishel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kate, thanks for joining us today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?
Yes, I absolutely do! I used to hoard my vacation days as if a high balance were a trophy for my dedication at work. While my sales were incredible, the quality of the rest of my life was taking a toll. Finding the time to take vacations and practice self-care is imperative. It is not sustainable to red line all the time; at some point your work, your health or some aspect of your life will burn out. When I slowed down and took time to travel, I was excited to come back full of energy and new ideas. I found that I was more creative and resourceful with a freshly rested perspective. Personally, I never completely shut off the business, as an owner that’s just not a possibility but moreover I prefer to stay on top of emails and projects to keep progress in motion during my absence. I ensure to use my vacations strategically in a project timeline. If I need pricing, renderings or perhaps some prototypes built I will prep everything to be launched into production before I leave so by the time I get back it will be ready for me to pick up. It’s all about balance to make sure you are being present and unwinding but also maintaining professional responsibilities. Being intentional with your time ensures your vacation buzz isn’t completely killed the moment you get back to the office.
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 knew early on I wanted to be (or more accurately needed to be) in a creative industry. I wasn’t sure exactly how I would weave my creativity into a career, but I stepped onto a path in design education and started ahead. At the age of 22 after receiving my bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University, completing a graduate certification in Event Management from George Washington University and wrapping up an internship with the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, I found myself in hiring discussions with a Destination Management Company. The owner invited me to attend Cattle Baron’s Ball, a large fundraising gala their sister company Fauxcades was producing. That night he showed me around and asked me if I wanted to ride on the Ferris Wheel they had brought in as the centerpiece of the event. As we stopped at the top of the ride he said, “Look around, this is what we do.” From 60’ up in the air in the middle of 40 acres on Southfork Ranch surrounded by 3,000 attendees enjoying private concerts from Pat Green, Brooks and Dunn, enjoying a casino, live auction, silent auction, themed food stations, entertainers, activities and bars galore. A full western town complete with facades that were over 20’ tall and 40’ wide to make it look like this was a typical weekend night on Main Street in some small Texas town. I was giddy with excitement and grinning ear to ear. “I LOVE this!” I told him. “I MUST do this.” He offered me the job at the top of that Ferris Wheel and there begin my ride in the events industry.
When I came on with Fauxcades in 2008 to open their outside sales department I knew I had found the next step on my career path. I started as their National Sales Director at the age of 24 and told the current CEO and owner I would be his successor and wanted to be an owner before I turned 30. The plan has played out well and I am thrilled to be celebrating my 14th year with Fauxcades and 8th year as an owner of this incredibly special company. The evolution of Fauxcades since its conception in 2004 has been a grueling yet whimsical journey full of hardworking creative people doing what they love, designing extraordinary experiences. Passion drives our grind to produce the shine.
Fauxcades is a full‐service event design, production and rental company. Owning over 10,000 event rental items ranging from bars and sofas to oversized entrances and backdrops in a conveniently located warehouse in the DFW Metroplex. Fauxcades has long standing partnerships with other event vendors allowing them to coordinate all event requirement turnkey as your one stop shop event producer. From the initial event design process which includes site inspections, custom renderings, proofs and proposals to the final creation and installation‐ Fauxcades does it all. The in‐house production studios include the signage department, paint, carpentry, welding and sculpture studios. With some of the
most talented artists, designers and carpenters in the country, Fauxcades is a respected and trusted name in the events industry. Customer service and quality are the two main focuses which have led to 18 years of successful events and many happy repeat clients. Fauxcades produces thousands of events every year including local and national programs.
Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?
Fauxcades houses carpentry, paint, welding, sculpture, graphic design & signage studios in our 60,000 square foot warehouse. Staying in control of these aspects allows us to fabricate creative quality products on budget. Each department head has prior experience or education in their field of expertise, but nothing compares to the demands of the custom event design and production world. For example, carpenters typically build structures meant for longevity while our job requires them to create decorative elements for the sole purpose of impermanence. They must tweak their minds to design for a piece that can be built, disassembled, and rebuilt again hundreds of times- quickly and easily. The evolving goal to balance contradicting requests: solid but lightweight or a complex build that completely transports guest into an immersive experience that can be setup in less than 45 minutes and manufactured in three days but also is under budget. Things must spin, sparkle, illuminate, and counter spin with branded water features suspended in ballrooms with no rigging points. The requests although somewhat comical at times are most serious and all require a solution typically on an extremely tight deadline. Our production department hosts a talented team of mayhem magicians that stay on their toes ready to tame and transform the next build challenge.
Each fabrication project begins in a production meeting with the event designer and department heads to dissect and decide what is being built in house versus outsourced. This is typically determined by at least one of three things: safety, availability, and budget. Over the years our network of reliable vendors has been solidified allowing us to collaborate for quality and timely work.
One of the biggest lessons in manufacturing a product is determining product longevity. Since our business is predominately event rentals, we not only build but store our own items. Determining if a product is worthy of occupying storage space, being outfitted with custom covers or crates and properly maintained is a crucial part of our business. If there is a piece that would be a great staple in our inventory, we will invest and build it in an upgraded fashion so it can become part of our long-term rental collection. Depending on the requirements of the client, the other decision is to build a piece that is single use or may only last a few sets. Every item is both our expense and our paycheck. Properly assigning that value is key to the success of any business manufacturing their own products.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
You are only as good as your last event. A long company history and number of events under your belt gives you credibility but a reputation is something that requires constant maintenance. Every member of the Fauxcades team is passionate about their work. I tell everyone that interviews here they need to do something they love. If they don’t love this, then I hope they go find something they do. We all spend most of our lives working, it better be doing something that lights you up so you can properly shine. We are honored to work with nonprofits to help them raise millions of dollars for worthy causes. When a corporation calls us to highlight their employees or an anniversary, it is a privilege to facilitate that celebration. Hosting a social client on one of the most important and special days of their life is truly a distinct pleasure. The Fauxcades team loves what we do and focuses on amplifying the good each event celebrates. It’s not about us, it’s about our client and we stand beside them to breathe life into their vision to ensure a prosperous and most hospitable experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: fauxcades.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fauxcades/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fauxcades-Creative-Event-Design-267604476656667/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/65562651/admin/
Image Credits
Cash Anglin Photography