We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Autumn Turner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Autumn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
I realized I wanted to become a business owner in college. Then, once I graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Event Management, I was at a crossroads. Everyone seemed to be getting a full-time job or moving on to graduate school. Nonetheless, I remained steadfast in my goal, and I knew there was no better time to start a business. My actual thought process was, “I can always get a full-time job,” but I knew it would be difficult to leave once you have that stability. I wanted to take the opportunity to start a business first and see it through. There were plenty of times when I thought getting a regular job would be easier since starting and owning an event planning business means I’m CEO, Lead Planner, Social Media Manager, Marketer, Accountant, Receptionist, etc. I’m wearing all the hats instead of just being an employee for a company. In fact, after the first few months of starting my business, I did actually get a regular 9-5 job for a while to support myself. It wasn’t my passion, though, and I would much rather be working on my business during that time. Once that contract position ended, it was clear to me that being a business owner is the best thing for me. I love having control over my time and my schedule. It forces me to stay motivated and allows me to use my own creative methods of planning. Therefore, yes, I am happier as a business owner. While it can be hard work, I love wearing different hats every day, and I’ve learned to make them as fashionable as possible. :)
Autumn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Autumn Turner, and I am the Owner and Lead Planner for Serenity Events. My love for events began in middle school in Charleston, SC, where I was a leader in planning and coordinating school dances and functions. This continued through high school with prom, club meetings, banquets, a 5K fundraiser, and birthday parties. I also started working for a catering company, where I helped at public events in my community as well as social events like weddings and rehearsal dinners. During my senior year, I interned with a wedding planner as an assistant, and I planned a mock wedding for my senior thesis. I realized events were my passion, and that is why I decided to move to Orlando, FL, to attend UCF. Once I graduated, I started my business, and the rest is history!
Serenity Events is a one-stop shop for all your event management needs. As the owner and lead planner, I plan proposals, weddings, elopements, special events, corporate events, and travel. I work with clients to service their specific needs, whether they need help planning everything or just assistance on the day of the event. I specialize in bringing all of the logistics together to create a spectacular event. As soon as someone reaches out to me, they can see I’m professional but relatable. I strive to make the planning process peaceful instead of stressful. A lot of people have work and life to focus on. Planning an event is a lot to take on, so many will hand it off to me or ask for assistance to ensure they are on the right track. From coordinating and communicating with vendors to budget management to timeline creation, I will make sure all of the details are taken care of.
While I have a degree and 9+ years of experience in the industry, I still get so excited for every event I get to be a part of. I strive to be every couple’s best friend and cheerleader on their wedding day or someone’s hypeman at a birthday party. From start to finish, organization and coordinating logistics properly are key to a successful event, and I want my client to sit back, relax, and enjoy the day!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Once I decided to start my business, I was extremely nervous about executing everything. To help with this, I decided to take a class on how to build a successful wedding planning business. I enjoyed it and got a lot of resources out of it, including how to talk to clients, sell my services, etc. Nonetheless, when I first started to use some of the strategies I was taught, I noticed that I wasn’t getting responses after an initial inquiry, or if I did, it wouldn’t go very far. At first, I thought this was just because I was still building my company, but after a while, I knew I had to change something. In the class, I was taught to be upfront about my packages and pricing after an initial inquiry. I even received a template for some great wording to use in my response. However, when I decided to adjust my responses to be more personable and less “sales-focused,” I noticed a shift in actual responses.
Planning an event can be overwhelming and stressful, so most of the time, when clients inquire about my services, they’ve reached a point where they realized they can’t do it by themselves. Originally, when I was responding, I was giving them package information with event terminology that not everyone is familiar with. I was likely overwhelming them even more; thus, they stopped responding. It was when I asked questions about their specific event, started a general discussion, and then moved into explaining my services I found I had a much higher success rate for converting inquiries to clients.
Again, there was a lot that I learned in that wedding planning class that I still use today, but other strategies I had to unlearn and relearn from myself. I built my confidence up and built my business how I wanted to. I do recommend researching and learning from others about how they started their business and what works for them. Nonetheless, whatever is learned must be molded into your own creation. What works for someone else may not work for you and vice versa. Building a business is a lot of trial-and-error and unlearning and relearning, but that is the beauty of entrepreneurship.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I love keeping in contact with my clients! Usually, I reach out to previous clients at least once a year, whether it be on their wedding anniversary, birthday, etc. Fortunately, since I plan and coordinate different types of events, I’m able to have repeat clients. Previous wedding clients can hire me for their baby showers, or previous birthday party clients can hire me for a family reunion celebration. In fact, if I’m booked to plan a proposal, they often request my help with the wedding. Excellent service is important before, during, and after the event, so that is how I try to foster brand loyalty. My clients know I am there for them for any events they need help planning. By keeping in touch and developing a great relationship with them, I make sure they know they were never just “another client” and their event is not just “another event”. I am grateful for every experience I get to create and assist with. I love that Serenity Events is a part of people’s journey through life; it’s very meaningful to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://serenityeventsllc.wixsite.com/events
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serenityeventsorlando
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070329424711
- Other: https://www.thumbtack.com/fl/orlando/party-planners/serenity-events-llc/service/432063627682848796?category https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/serenity-events-winter-park-fl-2052001 https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/serenity-events/91c1cb5ad05eca43.html
Image Credits
Aspen & Elm Wedding Co., Angelia Bulatao Photography, Shaya Oliver Photography