We recently connected with Camille Dillard and have shared our conversation below.
Camille, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?
I love working remote! It keeps overhead expenses low which is the biggest benefit. There is not a lot of overhead needed as a wedding planner. All I truly need is a phone and a computer. If I had a physical office space, full-time staff, etc. that would be thousands of dollars a month that I don’t necessarily have to spend at this point in my career.
Remote work allows me to work at my own pace. I don’t have to be at an office at a certain time. I meet with most of my clients via Zoom and if I do meet them in person I use that as an excuse to treat them to lunch or dinner. No one knows I don’t have a physical office space unless I tell them.
The only pitfall is that all of my wedding stuff is spread out all over my garage, shed, and attics. However, it doesn’t bother me enough to get a lease on a building that I don’t necessarily need just yet.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My company Dreams by Dillard Weddings & Events, LLC is a full service event planning company. We also do florals and general event consulting. I started my business in 2018 as a junior in college at the University of Tennessee because I knew that was what I wanted to do when I graduated. I even worked as an unpaid intern to ensure this was what I wanted to do because you know you want to do something if you are able to do it for free. I started my business officially when I asked for more responsibility and my boss at the time said no. I figured I could do for myself what I was already doing for someone else.
Starting a business wasn’t hard physically, but it was mentally. I had to constantly explain to people what drew me to wedding planning, I had to constantly defend the fact that people were still getting married. I had to defend the fact that Memphis has a booming wedding industry. Even now, I have to defend the fact that this is what I want to do and no one can change my mind.
The constant grit I had to show up everyday with ultimately made me who I am today. I don’t back down easily. I rarely take or give ‘no’ as an answer. And I try to rise to the occasion in whatever way it takes. Which is what makes me an awesome event planner. It’s not just about making the event pretty. It’s about making your clients feel heard, assuring them and re-assuring them over and over, and making them feel like they are your top priority. Because they are.
I got into this business because I knew I had the gift of making people feel special and making them feel celebrated. None of this is about me, it’s about helping people create memories that last a lifetime.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn not to be afraid to show my face on camera. When I started my business, that’s when TikTok and IG reels became popular. I truly feel like my business suffered because I was too insecure at the time. This resulted in me not putting myself out there the way I knew I could have.
I thought that I had to be fully put together whenever I showed my face on camera when in reality the opposite is true. People resonate more with people who look like them, which is NOT put together all the time. The videos I resonated with the most were the ones people took in their cars. I had to learn that the important part was just showing up and giving people something that was going to add value to them and not focusing too much on the vanity aspect.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
One of the most beautiful things about the University of Tennessee is that there were so many resources to help me start my business. I competed in pitch competitions and got private individual scholarships from the Haslam College of Business. I used that funding to buy business licenses, build a website, and further my skills. I also took a small $5,000 student loan to make sure I had enough money to invest in my business why still being able to survive as a college student.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dreamsbydillard.com
- Instagram: @dreamsbydillardevents
- Linkedin: Camille Dillard
Image Credits
Complex Captures
Lefteye Photography
Ivory & Lace Photography