We recently connected with Adreean Shanklin and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Adreean, 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 never imagined that I would start an event planning company. I am Adreean Shanklin, the founder and CEO of Dani Cymone Events. I have always been creative and love seeing a vision come to life and organizing celebrations for family and friends. I love celebrating and often planned my own birthday parties and events. I started by making decor, apparel and jewelry as a hobby and a form of self care. After planning my own destination wedding in 2013 in the Dominican Republic, I began to get requests to plan trips and weddings for family and friends . I often planned events in the community as a former Girl Scout Troop leader and teacher. Fueled by the encouragement of my husband and friends, and working as a Special Education Teacher, I took the leap in 2018 to pursue my passion for the wedding and events industry. I enrolled in a comprehensive program and enlisted the guidance of a wedding business coach to hone my skills and to get all of my paperwork and legal components in order. I took several courses for event design and in 2019, I proudly launched Dani Cymone Events, marking the beginning of a fulfilling journey.

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.

Dani Cymone Events is the go-to for people who are all about having a good time. We specialize in planning and coordinating weddings,adult celebrations and honeymoons. We cater to busy professionals who don’t have the time or energy to plan everything themselves. We’re all about making sure your special day is unique and memorable, so you can just relax and enjoy the ride! We offer a wide range of services including full planning and design, event coordination, custom planning and destination weddings. We help couples remove the stress and overwhelm with wedding planning while also saving them time and money. We partner with reputable businesses that are able to go above and beyond to produce the best outcome for our clientele. With our phase based planning approach, we streamline the planning process and then bring in our team of amazing wedding professionals on the day of your event to execute all the planning we’ve done. Dani Cymone Events operates with a unique approach. We tailor our services to meet the individual needs of each client, recognizing that every person is distinctive. Leveraging my background as a mental health counselor and educator, I possess a natural ability to actively listen to clients’ needs and inspire a sense of comfort. Additionally, my exceptional planning skills ensure smooth execution of all endeavors.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building a significant audience on social media requires time, consistency, and strategic engagement. Initially, I focused on creating valuable, engaging content that resonated with my target audience. Authenticity, consistency, and quality were key factors in gaining followers. Engaging with my audience by responding to comments, messages, and tags helped build connections and foster a sense of community. Collaborating with other creators and participating in relevant hashtags and trends also contributed to audience growth. I use a content planner to show up consistently and have hired help as needed to grow my audience. I am working on running some ads for the first quarter as well . Posting has to be fun and engaging for me ,I don’t think it will connect with my audience if I did not like posting. My advice for those starting to build their social media presence would be to define their niche, create a content strategy, interact with their audience, and utilize analytics to track progress and refine their approach. Patience, perseverance, and a genuine passion for connecting with others are essential ingredients for success on social media.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The road to establishing Dani Cymone Events has not been entirely smooth but I did not quit, even when there was little to no money coming in from my business. Some challenges we’ve encountered along the way go a little something like this: Initially, I experienced moments of self-doubt and uncertainty about the viability of starting a wedding planning business. I knew I loved to plan events and I loved to design them as well . But it takes more than love to build a business lol! Contrary to my initial belief that pursuing it as a business would diminish the enjoyment, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted when I decided to take the leap. While still teaching, I launched my business and even took a year away from my full time job to fully establish my business and give it a head start. I did not receive any start up funding and used my own money to jump start and pay for wedding education and coaches. There were sacrifices I had to make and I cut back on unnecessary spending to dedicate more money to fund my business. Establishing a clientele in a competitive industry, especially in the early stages, requires persistent networking and marketing efforts as well. I always have to stay steps ahead to stay on top of my business while setting myself apart. Managing the demands of a full-time teaching job, while raising a family and pursuing the business venture poses challenges in balancing work and personal life. I am so grateful that my husband and children are not only supportive, but they also work with me often leading up to events. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the wedding industry, leading to postponements and cancellations, which required adaptability and flexibility in managing client expectations. I learned a lot on how to be flexible and to generate other streams of income during the pandemic and I am constantly studying the industry and looking for ways grow. Managing cash flow during the initial stages of the business, especially when seasonal fluctuations affect income, continues to present as a challenge.

Contact Info:

• Website: danicymoneevents.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dani_cymone_events/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaniCymoneEvents

Image Credits
Michelle Evans Art- Michelle Evans AKS Photography – Adrian Digital Age Film- JP B Will Made It Photography- Brandon Williams Andrew Photo Film- Andrew Cunningham