Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Vipond . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ashley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken in the past 5 years was starting my business Champagne Social Co. When I decided that I wanted to start an events franchise business I had no formal experience in design, event planning, or event styling. I was nervous that our product couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to compare to all of the other established wedding vendors in our area. Being a new event company and also being an event company led by a woman of color- in an industry that lacks diversity in areas was a bit nervewracking, but I’m a scrappy individual, so I invested in courses and even worked under a wedding planner for 6 months to learn how to operate a successful events business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started my career in heavy sales and marketing-based roles. I never considered myself to be “creative” per se. So, when I approached our cofounder Brittany, who happens to also be my sister about this opportunity we knew that we had a lot of work to do when it comes to figuring out the logistics and brand voice we wanted to convey. We started by offering cart installations and luxury custom picnics, but decided that our cart is what truly sets us apart from other brands. The main goal of our brand is to bring the fun. Weddings don’t have to be stuffy or stressful. You can have fun every step of the way from your bachelorette party until you say “I do.” Our Panhandle (manged by me), our Orlando/Tampa branch (managed and owned by Emily McGlothlin), and our Edumuton Canada location (managed and owned by Tanja Kankaansyrja) are awesome examples of how women can have an event-based business while still having control over their schedules and family life.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Our co-founder is my sister Brittany Gregory. Brittany is a powerhouse of a person. She is an attorney and manages the brand’s contracts, legal questions, and franchise program. My sister and I have always gotten along so well. I would consider her one of my best friends in the world – so when she decided to do this with me, I knew I had found the right person to do this with.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I am a Mom of two toddlers so, before I started my business I didn’t have a full-time job to fund Champagne Social Co. So, to make our dreams a reality and come up with my portion of the money to purchase the carts, insurance, and licensing I started my own Influencer Marketing company. I worked with brands to manage their campaigns, locate influencers, and drive online and in-store traffic. I had never done this before, but I knew that I could sell the heck out of anything and that if there was something I didn’t know, I would be able to find it. It’s kind of crazy but 2 years later and I still do work for some of my brands! Some cool brands I’ve worked with included SkinnyDipped, Tushbaby, and Owl and Oak. In my second year I made $126,000 and was able to fund Champagne Social Co.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://champagnesocialcoevents.com/#/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/champagnesocialco_events?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
Ellie McKenzie Studio Rebecca Foster