We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aleatha Lindsay a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Aleatha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I absolutely love being a small business owner! It allows me the flexibility of utilizing all my skills and building my own schedule – I am definitely happier. Granted, running a small business is hard work but I love what I do! When I was first starting out, I did have my moments where I wondered if it was the right decision. The joy I get from doing this as well as all the positive feedback, kept me going. I have fun curating an experience for my clients that exceeds their expectations.

Aleatha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Aleatha, the founder of Brown Sugah Picnics, a full service luxury picnic and micro event planning company based in Peachtree Corners. I’m also an independent art curator and multi-disciplinary artist based in Atlanta. I created Brown Sugah Picnics to provide a way for people to elevate their most cherished moments. Driven by hospitality and creativity, each picnic is curated to allow our clients to create unforgettable memories within a luxurious and relaxed environment.

Each experience includes boutique style throw blankets and rugs, comfortable seating cushions, handcrafted low tables with décor, full place settings for each guest, boho umbrella, bluetooth speaker, and more! We also offer add on options such as charcuterie spreads, desserts, mini photoshoot, champagne walls, and more! Our clients have the choice of having their experience at any location they desire, such as at parks, hotel, airbnb, at a venue, or within their home.

Whether it’s date night, a birthday, proposal, bachelorette, or even a “just because” gathering with loved ones – each of our picnics is designed and coordinated to be a unique and inspiring experience. We provide a convenient and stress-free way for people to enjoy an elevated experience without having to take the time to plan, shop and prepare. Clients just show up ready to have a good time, we take care of all the details and heavy lifting, then clean up once all the fun has moved on.

Recently, we have started offering Blind Date Picnics – Where we match up local singles to go on an amazing, completely planned picnic date! There is no guarantee of love or second dates, as that is up to the two of them but we promise a fun unique experience! We are excited about the response thus far and have made one solid match already! Applications for Blind Date Picnics are currently open on our website at brownsugahpicnics.com.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I grew my audience organically by posting consistently and remaining authentic. I think continuously learning to take better quality pics and video content has helped me tremendously. Also, collaborating with local businesses who serve a similar target audience has been key. For me, it has been event photographers, charcuterie providers, cake decorators, and event venues. We would do a giveaway or collab on a fun trending reel. It’s also so important to understand your target audience, what makes them move and engage, and have fun while doing so!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I started this business using funds from my savings. Starting small with a few setups, then using a percentage of the profits to gather more items was how I was able to build my inventory. By designing my own marketing materials, building my own tables from scratch, and in any areas I knew I could easily do myself has helped me cut down the startup costs. No loans or credit cards needed, starting off small was key.

Contact Info:

• Website: brownsugahpicnics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownsugahpicnics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brownsugahpicnics/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brown-sugah-picnics

Image Credits
Cassie Rae Design https://cassieraedesign.com/ @cassieraedsgn