We were lucky to catch up with Caroline Broadbent and Avery Wallace recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Caroline Broadbent and , thanks for joining us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?
We manage all of our social media platforms ourselves! We try to integrate the behind the scenes with the final products, to fully immerse our clients and friends in the world of balloons! We are just two moms on a mission to spread some joy, and love that others can relate to that.
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
We both were born and raised in Franklin, TN and were best friends throughout elementary and middle school. We were on the same cheerleading squad, always paired together for projects, and had sleepovers most weekends. Enter high school- where we began to drift apart. For the next 10 years, we battled our demons separately.
Avery battled addiction and OCD- finding herself in and out of treatment facilities and fighting for her life. Caroline was a nurse working in the hospital when she was diagnosed with trauma-induced OCD. She was unable to work due to panic attacks that nearly took her life. We both clawed our way out of various rock bottoms and survived. By the time we reconnected in 2020, we were new wives, young mothers, and finally thriving. Instantly picking up where we left off, we spent most days letting our kids play and dreaming of more.
We wanted to ease the financial burden on our families, and at the same time, we wanted a creative outlet to alleviate the monotony of stay-at-home motherhood. We both had always made balloon decorations for our kids’ parties and began to throw around the idea of a balloon business. What began as a daydream came to fruition after Caroline’s husband pushed her to take the leap, and she dragged Avery along with her.
From a playroom at Caroline’s mom’s house, we began to create. Word spread, and now we are privileged enough to have a full-time job bringing smiles and fun with our custom balloon decorations. The irony of our stories intersecting again after similar struggles is not lost on us, we are just forever grateful for second chances and new chapters.
And why balloons? Float Franklin allows us to celebrate life’s victories every day with everybody! We grab some joy, tie it on a string, and then pass it around! We chose balloons because life is heavy, and we could all use a little helium. Why not tie some balloons to the happy stuff, and send joy floating?
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
We credit our success to our love of creativity and innovative creations! When you are truly having fun, the joy is evident. People gravitate to that energy, and become clients. Do we always have good days? Absolutely not. But staying consistently positive, adjusting perspective, and making time for fun works well for us. We aim to try something new or add a different element to our art with every install- so we don’t allow ourselves to get comfortable for long!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
We have both always worked for a boss, punched a time clock, and followed protocols. Somewhere along that corporate ladder (or maybe in our troubled pasts), we stopped believing we were capable or qualified for more. Starting our own company forced us to confront those limiting beliefs—and opened our eyes to untapped potential we didn’t know existed. You don’t need a business degree or a million dollars to start a company, you just need passion and drive. You are capable of more than you give yourself credit for- so do it scared. It is so worth the risk.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.floatfranklinballoons.com
- Instagram: @floatfranklin
- Facebook: Float Franklin Balloons