We recently connected with Andreka “Lynn” Howard and have shared our conversation below.

Andreka “Lynn”, appreciate you joining us today. Quality control is a challenge almost every entrepreneur has had to focus on when growing – any advice, stories or insight around how to best ensure quality is maintained as your business scales?

When I first began in the event industry being profitable seemed like a an even bigger dream than launching the company. Project after project I would sacrifice my profit to ensure my quality was not compromised. This allowed me to build a strong portfolio and business reputation but not much else. As time passed I learned to say “no” to clients who could not afford the services they desired at the level we were prepared to offer them. It was the most challenging part of being an empathetic small business owner. Once the “art of no” was mastered and we identified all projects were not meant for our hands we began to flourish. The quality was never compromised therefore quality control was not at risk as we grew over time. For entrepreneurs concerned about quality control, it is better to not take on the client than to cut your quality.

Andreka “Lynn”, 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 am Andreka, the founder and namesake of Lynn Howard, LLC, a boutique consulting firm offering event management, design, and production, nonprofit capacity-building, professional fundraising, branding, and strategic communications services.

I entered the event industry as a wedding planner in 2002. During the turn of the millennium I used the Real Yellow Pages as my primary planning resource. Until 2016, our focus remained weddings and milestone events before shifting almost exclusively to nonprofit events. The transition was organic as I began taking on roles as a professional fundraiser in 2013.

The experiences I gained working with faith-based, K-12 independent schools, university foundations for majority institutions and historically black colleges and universities fortified my position as a an expert in the nonprofit community.

Our talent team is curated one project at a time allowing bespoke consulting services. An event may begin with a ribbon-cutting for a senior living facility and end with a black tie scholarship gala. Although we limit the number of milestone celebrations we produce a Sweet Sixteen for the ages is still a highly coveted event for our team. Event budgets have spanned $30,000 to more than a million dollars.

Our clients come with partial concepts and we help them develop an experience of a lifetime. Most of our services include event management but some clients utilize our branding and fundraising services exclusively. If you need assistance speak with us and I am confident there are a myriad of services we can offer.

I am most proud of Lynn Howard’s resiliency. A career spanning more than two decades that began as a hobby is now a company with more than a dozen members of the talent team. We have weathered a natural shift from milestone event management, two recessions, the COVID-19 global pandemic, virtual events, and the DIY client fueled by Pinterest. We are still here and thriving, I am not only proud but incredibly grateful to everyone who makes that possible.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Our greatest source of new clientele remains referrals from previous clients and community members familiar with our portfolio. We recently re-branded our company and to date that has been the most significant investment made in marketing. Our clients typically arrive because they were told , “you need Lynn Howard.” Although we plan to further dive into the world of marketing and advertising our focus will remain on providing quality experiences to our clients.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

We aim to entice our clients to “find” reasons to employ us after their initial projects have come to a close. If we can upgrade our clients to lifetime patrons we avoid the need to grow a massive clientele. We remain committed to their causes and tastes while increasing our revenues. I hope that the addition of story-telling for our company will prove a source of growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lynnhoward.com/
• Instagram: @lynnhowardllc

Image Credits
Clint Blane Photography