We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ebony Raye a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ebony thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
Everything about the person that I am today can be attributed to the things that my parents got right. I like to think that I am the perfect blend of my parents. I have been able to take the structure of my father and the compassion of my mother and combine them.
As a mother of a 21 year old I think it’s easy to feel like we don’t get much right in the raising of our kids. I know on a personal level, there are so many things that I feel like I got wrong or could have done better. It isn’t until I hear from him the things that he appreciated about his upbringing and my efforts as a parent. So in this I just quickly want to say that I appreciate both of my parents and will always carry them with me as I navigate in life and in business.
It’s hard to know where to begin in describing what my mom got right so I will start with her general presence. I was fortunate enough to have a mother that not only was a career woman…but was also a family woman. I can never recall a game, holiday or performance that I was a part of that she was not there for. It’s funny sometimes how as children we can take those things for granted, because we just expect them to be there for all of those things. Looking back on it I’m not sure how she fit everything that she did in a single 24 hour day. My mom taught me the importance of being honest, kind and committed. My dad on the other hand is a bit more pragmatic. Learning how to not think about problems from an emotional place, but to instead use logic to get to solutions. It was always dealing with facts when it came to my dad and that has been a game changer in my life. Learning how to process troubling times without overthinking or letting emotions take over me helps me continue to navigate this fast paced industry that I’m in.
Over all my parents weren’t perfect (as nobody is), but they instilled very important values in me. I am thankful for them both and have come to appreciate being pragmatically empathetic!
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
My name is Ebony Raye and I am the owner/operations manager of ShakeUp ATL. We are an event staffing company in the metro Atlanta area. We provide premier bartenders & servers for private events. At ShakeUp we pride ourselves on providing detail oriented and customized service to ensure that our clients have a wonderful experience.
The main thing that I want people to know about myself and the brand is that it is one of true care and passion. Hospitality has been my life since I started working at the age of 15. Life as a business owner is a challenging one and is definitely full of surprises…but I can’t think of anything that I’d rather be doing. I believe that I have a unique ability to relate to just about anybody, therefore have been able to quickly understand peoples individual needs and personalities in order to provide the type of service that they are looking to have. It’s very important to me that our clients have a fun, affordable & professional experience. By combining our custom cocktails and tailored service we always aim to wow your guests.
Our goal at ShakeUp ATL is to streamline your event by taking things off your plate. With our preset or custom packages we ensure that you will be able to enjoy your event without worrying about all the little details. Ranging from service only to all inclusive services, we have an option to fit your specific needs.
The thing that I am most proud of so far is that we have added new locations to the ShakeUp brand. With the additions of ShakeUp STL, ShakeUp SD & ShakeUp NYC we are super excited about opportunity to serve people. Personally I am so grateful that these markets have embraced the brand and the standards that we continue to operate with. I am very excited to see where this journey takes the team and myself, and hopefully I will have the honor to connect with some of you very soon!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
The advice that I have for maintaining high morale within a team is to be honest and keep your word. I believe that we have one of the best and most reliable teams due to the fact that I make sure to always be transparent with the team and when I tell them that I am going to do something…I go above and beyond to make sure that I deliver. Honestly the old saying “Treat people the way you want to be treated” is the only rule I live by. I do not believe in the term Boss or saying that anybody works for me. I believe that we are a collective team and each member has a role that is equally important to the success of everyone. The other piece of advice that I have is to listen to your team. I know that at this stage I am not out at events as often as I was in the beginning, so I rely on the teams feedback on how we can improve operations and service. I trust them and respect their opinions.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think what helped build and maintain my reputation in the market for the last 6 years is being authentic. We are currently living in a world of glitter and gimmicks, where people are looking to do anything to make the next dollar. The thing that I understand is that nobody like to feel like they are being sold. I pride myself on not telling clients what I think they want to hear but making sure I am communicating with them the information that is necessary to have a successful event. I understand that it is my responsibility to create a seamless experience for each and every client, which I have been able to do simply by caring about who they are as an individual. I understand and appreciate the fact that people trust me and the ShakeUp team to provide service for their special events, which we get one chance at getting right. I will continue to listen to needs and make sure that I am available to address any questions or concerns. We all like working with people that are honest, reliable and relatable…and that’s who we are!
Contact Info:
- Website: shakeupatl.com
- Instagram: @shakeupatl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shakeupatl
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/shakeup-atl-smyrna