We recently connected with Caitlin Mccarthy and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Caitlin, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
Two of the biggest internal factors that affect profitability is that the luxury slumber party industry is very time and inventory intensive. It takes a great deal of time to source inventory, test it for quality, maintain it, sanitize it, and keep track of all of the moving pieces/items. I have tens of thousands of items in my inventory at any given time to meet the demands of over 40 slumber party themes and all of our add on services. It takes a lot of time to properly sanitize all pieces of the setup, put it all away, and manage everything behind the scenes.
Each one of my slumber party setups requires 3-4 pillows per guest, 1 blanket, 1 sheet, 1 tray, 1 tent and then all of the miscellaneous decor to bring the vision together which is a lot of items per guest and therefore a huge expenditure. And dont get me started on the cost of batteries to light things… we have been transitioning slowly but surely to plug in twinkle lights and rechargeable batteries to help save on this cost.
Many people assume I use cheap materials from five below or the dollar store to save money, however, because of how often things get used and how rough kids are, you really cannot afford to use cheap quality linens or pillows because they need to stand up to the wear and tear of kids using and playing with them in addition to the sanitizing and washing protocols.
External factors affecting the profitability would be the status of the economy and potential clients undervaluing the cost of your materials and how long it takes to perform your services. Many feel our pricing is far too high and they can do the party for less, but, they do not understand the overhead, insurance, cost of doing business, taxes, and all of the other intricacies of being a service based provider.
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.
In 2014 I was taking a celebratory trip on an African safari to celebrate getting into and starting medical school at Michigan State University’s Doctor of Osteopathy program. While abroad in Africa, I suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly took my life. After weeks recovering in Africa, i came home and began medical school as planned, but, something just wasnt right and I was not myself after the injury.
A few weeks after starting, I made the difficult decision to take a year off from medical school. I returned in 2015 still unable to perform at my previous levels and made the life-changing decision to leave medical school forever. All I ever wanted to do was become a surgeon and I was reeling with what to do next.
I dabbled in lecturing at a local college in Biology and Chemistry but missed medicine so I left teaching and began a career in clinical research at the University of Michigan hoping that being back in medicine would fulfill me. After leaving the flexibility of college academia, my health rapidly declined as the rigours of a career in medicine quickly became too much for my brain to handle post injury. I struggled balancing work and life and focused solely on work for years because my brain could not balance both.
In 2022, after a long fought battle of trying to be “normal” and stick with my career, I made the difficult decision to leave the traditional workforce without knowing what would be coming next. I needed to prioritize my health and relationships over my job, but how was I to do that when a strict 40 hour, 9-5 type job just didnt fit my needs anymore? After a few weeks of crying, soul searching, googling, and some mental breakdowns, I finally settled on opening an event planning company. Something completely different from medicine, a new challenge for me, and Practically Perfect Events was created in May of 2022!
Practically Perfect came from a new found belief that perfection is never lasting, but rather found in fleeting moments. It never exists for long, and everyone’s definition of perfection is so wildly different. I was striving for perfection in everything I did from very early on in my life and my TBI forced me to re-evaluate what perfection meant for me. I am not perfect. Everything I do is not perfect. But, I try my best and that means something so Practically Perfect Events was born.
Practically Perfect Events services mid michigan offering luxury sleepovers & slumber parties as well as epic play dates, glamping, and event planning. I am most known for my over the top, maximalist sleepovers but offer a number of services to suit our clients needs like custom themed playdate experiences, outdoor glamping in our beautiful multi-season belle tents, outrageous in the best way parties, and large event logistics such as community parades and events.
My philosophy is that parties should not be stressful, but instead full of memories and fun. I focus my time and energy on creating experiences for my clients that are low stress while still being extremely memorable for all the best reasons.
I am most proud of the ways we have been able to give back to the community since I opened in 2022. In 2024, we were able to support over 7 charities with donations of our slumber parties, totalling more than $3,000 given to our local schools and charities. I love giving back and am most proud that I have built a business that people want to work with to support their charitable causes and our local kids. I love that I am able to offer my support in a number of ways to help our community.
I believe my passion for giving back and supporting our community, unique themes, and sepctacular customer service is what sets Practically Perfect Events apart from other event businesses. In addition to my unique themes and offerings, a focus on the community was important to me when opening Practically Perfect.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I have a number of stories and experiences in my life that illustrate my resilience, but, the most profound would have to be sustaining my traumatic brain injury in 2014 and the work I have put in over the past decade to heal my brain, body, and take care of myself. There were times I was losing consciousness 5 times a day, I lost my driver’s license, and was fully dependent on my husband and family for all of my care and transportation. Even to my job that I refused to give up despite being so ill.
I have relentlessly pursued recovering from this devastating injury and building a business to fit my needs versus trying to make life work around a schedule dictated by work.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
To find magic, beauty, and happiness in the simple things like celebrating a birthday. I spent many years of my life struggling and pulling myself from the depths of illness and depression after my injury and I want to bring light, love, magic, and beautiful experiences to people as a result of that journey. There is simply too much darkness and negativity in our world these days and a good party never hurt nobody!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://practicallyperfecteventsmi.com
- Instagram: @Practically_Perfect_Events
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PracticallyPerfectEventsMI
