We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle Woody a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Danielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
My dream to open a bridal boutique began in 2017, when I was planning my own wedding. I had such an amazing experience at the boutique where I found my dress, that I knew I wanted to be a part of this special day for every bride! I started out in wedding planning and coordination and have been coordinating weddings part-time as a “second job” ever since. I decided my 10-year plan would be to open a full-service bridal boutique to provide brides with the amazing experience I had, but including wedding planning services as well! When COVID hit in 2020, I wasn’t able to coordinate weddings like I had the previous years, and I just felt like something was missing. By the time Summer 2020 came around, I knew that I needed a change; something to help me find my purpose. I was able to finalize my business plan with the help of the Small Business Development Center at Kennesaw State University, where I received my bachelor’s degree. This service (not just for KSU alumni!) was a significant part of my journey. I was paired with a Business Consultant who helped me with every step of the way – finalizing my business plan, setting up financials, marketing, and even helped me to secure an SBA loan to help me fulfill my dream and open our doors in March 2021. I would not have been able to do it without them, as well as the support of my amazing family and friends!
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
Serendipity Bridal + Events is a full-service bridal boutique in the heart of Marietta Square. We have bridal gowns and accessories, bridesmaid and mother of the bride/groom dresses, and even offer wedding planning and coordination services! The goal of Serendipity is all about making our clients feel special. We take pride in making sure that every bride, groom, and their family and friends have the most amazing experience – from the moment they book an appointment. It is heartbreaking to hear brides talk about awful experiences, where they don’t feel heard or don’t feel special leading up to their big day. Their engagement is supposed to be such an exciting time – filled with love, happiness and celebration of the next chapter of their lives together. Serendipity is honored to be a part of each and every client’s special day; whether they find their dream dress at our shop or not – our priority will always be about how we make them feel.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I do want to start with the fact that Serendipity’s presence on social media is still growing. However, I wanted to highlight that it’s HARD to do it all by yourself. I had to learn very early on that there is a reason why people specialize in what they do! In the beginning, my main focus was about saving as much money as possible. I built my own website (with the help of Wix) and managed my own social media posts. Unfortunately, as a busy mom, wife, working a full-time corporate job on top of trying to launch a business – I had zero time to focus on social media! (Which is very unfortunate, because that is where a lot of our brides come from!) After a few months of struggling to keep up, I was blessed that one of our bridal stylists also had a niche for social presence and brand. She took our boring Instagram page and blossomed it into what it is today. I am so proud that when people come to me and say, “oh my goodness, your recent post was beautiful!” I can turn to my team and say, “THANK YOU!” My best piece of advice, especially if social media is where a lot of your clients turn to for inspiration, is to hire a professional to help manage it. It may seem like just another expense in the beginning, but it will definitely pay-off in the long run! (PS. If you need any recommendations, I have the perfect partner for you!)
We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.
I’d like to introduce Kelsey, Serendipity’s Salon Manager. Serendipity truly would not be what it is today without her! Since I have continued to juggle family and a corporate job on top of running the business, she has been a key part in the day-to-day operations of Serendipity. I’m not able to be there as much as I’d like (for now) but I am truly blessed to have someone I trust to run things just as I would – if not better. Kelsey is the smiling face greeting all of our brides who walk into the shop, the welcoming response behind every email, and helps keep me up to speed on everything that’s going on. The definition of Serendipity is “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way” and that is exactly how Kelsey came into my life. Kelsey was relocating to the Atlanta area and ready for a career change. Her sister had recently gotten engaged and started to go dress shopping which prompted an idea. I’m not sure how I got so lucky, but she emailed Serendipity a copy of her resume, introducing herself, and asked if we were hiring. At that point, I was getting by with friends and family volunteering their time (and getting paid in brunch) but knew that my husband and I were looking to grow our family soon, so I needed someone I can trust to help ensure things run smoothly. It was the most perfect time, so I invited Kelsey in to see Serendipity; we hit it off right away. It brings me so much joy to see Kelsey not only meet expectations of what I was looking for but go above and beyond. I hope everyone finds themselves a Kelsey!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.serendipitybridalga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serendipitybridalga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serendipitybridalga
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/SerendipityBridalMarietta/
Image Credits
Shaina Mangino; Kelsey Sauer