We recently connected with Amanda Dawson and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Thank you for having me. I’m excited to share my story. I think the concept of scaling up is particularly interesting. Scaling my event planning business has required a combination of effective planning, strong relationships, and continuous improvement. In my experience, there are several key strategies that have contributed to the growth and expansion of my event planning business.

First, I prioritize building a strong network and establishing lasting relationships with clients, vendors, and industry professionals. This involves attending industry events, actively participating in professional organizations, and leveraging social media platforms. By nurturing these connections, I’ve gained valuable referrals, expanded my client base, and accessed a wider pool of reliable vendors.

Secondly, I emphasize the importance of streamlining processes and leveraging technology. I have implemented efficient project management systems, online event registration platforms, and communication tools to enhance productivity and collaboration. Automation of repetitive tasks such as RSVP tracking, payment processing, and guest communication has allowed us to handle larger events with ease.
Additionally, I constantly seek feedback from clients and attendees to understand their needs and expectations. This helps me refine my services, tailor event experiences, and maintain a high level of client satisfaction. By focusing on personalized attention and delivering exceptional customer service, I have been able to secure repeat business and earn referrals, contributing to the growth of my business.

Furthermore, strategic partnerships have played a significant role in scaling my event planning business. Collaborating with other professionals in related fields such as catering, entertainment, and venue management has allowed us to offer comprehensive event solutions. These partnerships have not only expanded our service offerings but also increased our visibility and credibility within the industry.

Lastly, I believe in continuous learning and staying updated with industry trends. Attending conferences, workshops, and webinars has helped me gain valuable insights, stay ahead of the competition, and bring innovative ideas to my clients. It’s crucial to embrace new technologies, design trends, and event concepts to remain competitive in the dynamic event planning landscape.

Overall, Urban Elegance has scaled up using a combination of building strong relationships, leveraging technology, focusing on customer satisfaction, strategic partnerships, and continuous professional development. By implementing these strategies, I’ve successfully scaled my event planning business and achieved sustainable growth.

Amanda, 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?

Urban Elegance, LLC is a special event planning & design company based in Washington, DC. The company was founded in 2008 by me and my friend/business partner, Nikki Hendricks. We’re an industry-trusted resource, distinguished in curating highly personalized events and ineffable experiences.

We’ve been blessed to coordinate and manage events ranging from, but not limited to, weddings, fundraisers, birthday and retirement celebrations, baby showers, and more. Additionally, we provide vendor management services and consultation services to meet each individual client’s needs. We have served as staff for the National Coalition for Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP) 2015 Coalition, the National Black Child Development Institute conferences in 2018 and 2019 and the 2023 The Howard University & PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship presents “Black Commerce: The Future of Entrepreneurship”.

Our signature event has been our Howard University Homecoming Alumni Brunch. We started the event humbly hosting 75 people. In less than 9 years this event exponentially grew and in October 2022 we hosted upwards of 1,000 people. The growth is in large part because of word-of-mouth. With each year, we poured more into the event and it is now our premiere event to host each year with the most exquisite brands associated with the event.

We specialize in ineffable experiences. We are a highly sought-after boutique company that specializes in producing bespoke events and other experiences for our clientele. With more than a decade of experience and trained project management professional experience, we work closely with our clients to oversee every detail of their events. We know how to produce a unique brand experience with love…because love is in the details!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn was what success looked like and the notion that failure is always a negative outcome. Failure is often associated with a lack of success and can be viewed as something to be avoided at all costs. However, this journey of entrepreneurship will come with failures, it is a naturel part of the journey and it allows you to grow from it. Embracing a growth mindset and seeing failure as a temporary setback rather than a permanent defeat was a transformative shift for me and my business. It allowed me to pivot and refine how I approach business. This lead to greater resilience, adaptability and long-term gains.

Unlearning the notion that failure is always negative and instead embracing it as a valuable learning opportunity has been one of the most powerful business lessons that I have learned to cultivate. I’ve seen this quote that says, “Don’t let success go to your head and never let failure get to your heart” and I try to model my business with that quote at the forefront.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As business owners we are constantly pivoting. However, the pandemic was a time that we had to pivot. During the pandemic the event planning industry was hit incredibly hard. Our team made daily decisions through the lens of how to best keep our clients, employees and partners safe and healthy when we were unable to celebrate in-person events. We quickly pivoted to hosting virtual events and secured vendors that could keep the celebration going…amazing DJs, virtual photo booth, production vendors to utilize technology to host the event, beverage vendors who would ship curated beverages to our guests, chefs who curated special meals for our guests. We still celebrated despite the hardships and we were able to provide light in so much darkness. We were able to fellowship and as a business we learned to understand how to pivot.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://urbaneleganceaffairs.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban_elegancellc/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063660908781
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/9715579/admin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkawzTLy5vCyVwlg204jD_w

Image Credits
Cheriss May Roma Vista Photography Joseph Erwin for The Modern Group LLC