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

Alright, Allyson thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights 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?

Our mission began with the purpose behind the name. When we first began this journey in 2020, there were only a small handful of picnic companies. Most of which offered themed packages to choose from. Although that is a sustainable way to approach the business from an inventory perspective, it didn’t speak to the creative voice in my head. Our goal is to curate the perfect picnic experience with the customers theme or vibe in mind. Whether it’s a color preference or celebration theme or small touches like framed photos or a specific flower, we aim to curate the picnic styling with the customer in mind. In doing so, we ensure no two picnics are ever alike. Each picnic experience is unique and captures the essence of the clients friendship or relationship while invigorating my creative design efforts.

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?

Our business was a Covid baby as we launched in the fall of 2020. I had recently been displaced from my corporate role in the hospitality industry which was badly affected by the pandemic. Like many other alike, I was on a mission to capitalize on whatever fire I had in my belly that was suppressed by my traditional corporate role. One September evening, it all rose to the surface and The Curated Picnic Co was born. I had no experience with starting a business but once the idea took over, it was like everything fell into place. Within 2 hours I had a name, domain and found a website template and off I went. I told my husband that night that I started a business and he had no clue what we were about to begin, together.

One of the things that I feel helps to set us apart is our customized approach to planning their picnic and the level of professional service we bring to our customers. Having the background I have, it allows us to really qualify and connect with our picnic guests in the planning phase. This helps to build trust with our guests that they are in great hands but also affords us the opportunity to host them again and receive referrals.

What I love most about our business is that we incorporate the family. I have two fantastic kids, 16 and 3, and for my husband and I, quality time is hard to come by. With this business, some times we set up picnics together and while our guests enjoy their quality time, we get to have dinner together, play mini golf or grab a cocktail together. It’s given us an opportunity to remain close and create unique memories of our own. And I can’t leave out the kids. Both our kids participate. My 16 year old son helps with carrying the equipment and clean up while my 3 year old daughter loves to help set up the place settings and decor. Again it’s a great way for us to build the business and still create memories together.

There are so many things to be proud of with this business. First, I started this myself with no clue how to begin a business. I found resources that helped me to create our website and booking services tools which was not in my comfort zone. Long nights of building out the website and then officially seeing it launch live was very rewarding. Also, we are about to celebrate 2 years of this business. I approached it the first year cautiously and felt we truly have something if a year from now we are still in business and can see growth. We did! And all while this space exploded with now hundreds of picnic companies.

We are so grateful for our guests both reoccurring and new. They have no idea how much joy this business brings to me but also how it has affected our family dynamic. We are a family business and are always so thrilled to experience the excitement of our guests when they first approach their Curated picnic. That reaction is our gift and solidifies why we do what we do.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of offering such a creative business experience is the reaction from our picnic guests when they first approach their picnic set up. We typically take just a few nuggets of information from our customers related to the design. Sometimes it’s color scheme or a particular theme. I use that to challenge myself to bring their vision to life. This is such a fun process for me. So when they arrive to their uniquely Curated picnic, their reaction is what fuels me. That smile and excitement is what I love.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

For me, I still struggle with marketing and social media. I enjoy taking photos but it took me quite a while to learn what caught the attention of our followers but also how to maintain a branded approach to our social media. I am still learning this and will continue to learn and grow in this aspect. I did however understand from the beginning the value that the influencer and their unique business could bring to a business like ours. In fact our very first picnic was for a local influencer and I truly owe the success of our launch to the power of this influencer.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thecuratedpicnic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuratedpicnicco/?hl=en
• Facebook: thecuratedpicnicco