We recently connected with Ebony Dawson and have shared our conversation below.

Ebony, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I’ve always had a love for balloons, even as a child you would find me with a balloon in my hand at birthday parties, fairs etc. I have a background in Early Childhood Education in which I worked in for 18 years. During those years I would always do fun activities with my students that involved balloons and sometimes simple balloon decor for holidays and special occasions. I honestly thought that teaching would be what I would be doing for the rest of my life and I was absolutely fine with that until I had a child and family of my own! As teachers we sometimes have to sacrifice time with our own children because of obligations that may come with work. I knew then that when the time came, I didn’t want to be that mom! I wanted to be present no matter what! So I started praying!! A few years later the pandemic hit and changed a lot of our lives. My son was starting Pre-K and I didn’t like the idea of him being in school with a mask on all day and I didn’t like the idea of working all day with a mask on. I talked to my husband we decided I would stay home and homeschool our son, I also assisted with virtual learning with a few of my students that graduated from my Pre-k class the year before. The following year they returned to school and I stayed home, but I was bored!! So again I prayed about what I would do because I knew I didn’t want to return to the classroom but my only work history was in education! My husband asked what talents did I have. I thought about balloons but at the time I only could do the simple stuff. I started watching you tube tutorials, Tik Tok videos and got to work! I practiced with cheap balloons from Walmart and Amazon kits to build my confidence and then I purchased my first round back drop. I had a family member who was pregnant at the time and I asked if I could gift her a backdrop for her baby shower and they said yes! From that shower, I got my first paying client! I still felt like I didn’t know what I was doing so for a while I gave huge discounts for my services to build my portfolio and gain more experience. I took a few online classes, learned how to price for profit and learned everything I needed to become a real business in Memphis! In September of 2021 I went and got my business license and this coming September, I will be celebrating 6 years in business as a full time Entrepreneur!! It hasn’t always been the easiest but it is most certainly rewarding! I have a village of people around me who truly support and don’t hesitate to speak my name in rooms my feet have yet to be in, cheer me on and uplift me when I need it. Most importantly, I get to be the present mom and wife I’ve always wanted to be for my family.

Ebony, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Pretty Chic Balloons specializes in professional balloon décor for business and personal events. In addition, we offer an 8×8 modern white bounce house and soft play set ups. Our goal is to help take the stress out of planning and decorating. Our customer care and attention to detail help set us apart from the rest. We continue to be innovators in the field and look forward to bringing our expertise and continued training into beautiful and one-of-a-kind balloon décor at any party or event. Trust us when we say that balloons can transform an entire space. The possibilities are endless when it comes to balloons. Everyone deserves a MOMENT! Whether you are celebrating a 1st or 90th birthday. Grand openings or simply adding some POP into your space!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There are some AMAZING balloon artists here in Memphis and surrounding areas!! They are all killing it in our industry too!! We all have our own style and techniques that make us different from each other but one thing is for sure, you’re definitely gonna find us in each others likes and comment section cheering each other on! I love that about us. It shows that just because someone is in the same field as you doesn’t mean that we can’t all win and still support each other while doing it! Lastly, not comparing myself to others. I am extremely appreciative of the path I am on and where its taken me thus far and exited about where I’ll go next.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Saying yes to everything and every one. Its ok to say NO!! Not every client is your client! When I first started, I definitely went in with the mindset of wanting to build a clientele so I felt like I needed to take anything for the sake of wanting clientele. I quickly learned that was wrong! I was losing more than I was bringing in. I’ve also heard people say “it’s just balloons” or ” we’re only gonna use them for a few hours so we shouldn’t have to pay that much” and value was placed on those thoughts over the time/skill that is put into each installation, the cost/transportation of materials and having to come back and break everything down. Lets not mention the conversations had before hand brainstorming ideas, budgets and finally execution! I definitely believe in attention to details and using good quality materials and those things don’t come cheap!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prettychicballoons.com
• Instagram: Pretty Chic Balloons
• Facebook: Pretty Chic Balloons
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebony-dawson-877876298
• Other: Google profile : https://g.co/kgs/KpUVa75

Image Credits

professional images by Katie Milam- Southern belle photography