We were lucky to catch up with Heather Gugliotta recently and have shared our conversation below.
Heather, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
A risk I took that completely changed the trajectory of my business—and honestly, my creative confidence—was the moment I decided to build Dolly, my now-signature 8×8 disco-ball wall.
What makes it even wilder is that Dolly didn’t begin as some big, ambitious project at all. The original idea was simply to create a small piece of art to hang on my wall. Something cute. Something manageable. Just a fun little creative spark.
But around that time, I had been gaining so much inspiration from fellow disco-ball wall creators across the nation. Their work was bold, imaginative, and so unapologetically fun. Watching their creations light up events made something click inside me.
I didn’t want to make something small anymore. I wanted to make something unforgettable.
So one day I just decided:
“The bigger the better.”
And with that, my tiny art project turned into a commitment to build a full 8×8 disco-ball backdrop feature—with no official plan, no guarantee it would work, and no real understanding of what I was getting myself into.
The process tested me in ways I didn’t expect.
Over 100 hours of nonstop detail work.
Seven separate orders of disco balls because I massively underestimated the quantity.
Thousands of glue sticks.
And so many runs to the store that I swear I could have done them blindfolded.
There were moments I almost quit—more than once. Every time I thought I was close to done, I’d run out of supplies again. The weight, the repetition, the engineering… it was all harder than I imagined. It didn’t feel like a fun art project anymore; it felt like a mountain I wasn’t sure I could climb.
But something about Dolly kept pulling me back. Maybe it was the inspiration I felt watching other creators do the impossible. Maybe it was the vision I could see so clearly in my head. Or maybe it was just the challenge itself.
And then finally—after all the hours, the burns, the supply shortages, the frustration—she was complete.
Standing in front of that massive, sparkling, 8-foot-tall wall, I realized I had built something far beyond a backdrop. I had built proof that my ideas, even the wild ones, deserved to exist.
Dolly went on to open doors, spark collaborations, go viral, and become a recognizable part of my business identity. But the biggest transformation was internal. That risk taught me that bold ideas are worth chasing—even when they’re inconvenient, exhausting, expensive, or make absolutely no sense on paper.
If there’s one lesson Dolly gave me, it’s this:
Creativity expands in direct proportion to the risks you’re willing to take.
And sometimes the risk that changes everything starts as a small thought—
that grows into an 8×8 disco dream named Dolly
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
For anyone who hasn’t met me yet, hi — I’m Heather, the owner and creative behind Turquoise Sky Events, a balloon design and event installation company based in Colorado Springs. I like to tell people I build joy for a living, but really, what I do is transform spaces into experiences through large-scale balloon artistry, immersive installations, and unique rental pieces like my signature 8×8 disco-ball wall, Dolly.
My journey into this industry wasn’t something I planned. It started small — decorating birthday parties for my kids and slowly falling in love with the way balloons can completely change the atmosphere of a space. I became obsessed with color, movement, structure, and storytelling through design. What began as “just helping with a party” turned into a passion, and eventually, a business that now collaborates with venues, brands, planners, and creative partners across Colorado.
Today, Turquoise Sky Events offers luxury balloon installations, helium designs, large-scale event builds, and exclusive rentals like our ball pit and of course, Dolly. My work ranges from intimate celebrations to corporate events, venue showcases, and full-scale immersive décor. My job is to take a client’s idea — no matter how simple or chaotic — and turn it into something elevated, cohesive, and magical.
One of the biggest problems I solve for my clients is helping them create a moment — something people walk into and immediately feel excited by. Balloons often get thought of as “kids’ party décor,” but I love showing clients how transformative, artistic, and high-end they can truly be. My installations bring dimension, color, texture, and emotion into a space. They make brands feel more experiential. They create photo opportunities guests can’t resist. And they leave impressions that last long after the event ends.
What sets my work apart is the level of detail, intention, and heart I put into every single installation. I don’t create “balloon decorations.” I create art. I chase unique builds, unexpected layouts, and designs that push scale — from ceilings to building exteriors to massive statement walls. I think the difference is that my work isn’t just a business; it’s deeply personal. Every install reflects my creativity, my story, and the commitment I have to bringing magic into other people’s lives.
I’m most proud of the community that has grown around my work — the clients who trust me, the vendors who cheer me on, the creators who inspire me, and the people who see my installations and feel something. And of course, I’m incredibly proud of Dolly. She represents risk, resilience, and the courage to build something bigger than you thought you were capable of.
If there’s one thing I want potential clients, followers, and fans to know about Turquoise Sky Events, it’s this:
I don’t just show up to decorate. I show up to create an experience.
An unforgettable one.
A meaningful one.
One that reflects who you are and why your moment matters.
Whether it’s a corporate showcase, a wedding, a kid’s birthday, or a brand launch — my goal is always the same: to make your event feel magical, intentional, and one-of-a-kind. And to leave you with something that feels like a true celebration of your story.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My social media audience didn’t grow because I mastered every trend or followed every algorithm trick. It grew when I finally stopped performing and started showing up as my real, unfiltered self — and when I built something so wildly “me” that it naturally drew people in: Dolly.
In the beginning, I used to worry about every single thing I posted. Everything had to be perfectly curated, perfectly edited, perfectly aligned with what I thought people wanted to see. I filtered myself so much that my page didn’t even feel like mine. It felt safe… but it also felt empty.
Eventually, I hit a breaking point. I was exhausted from trying to please an audience I didn’t even truly know yet. So I made a decision:
I stopped doing it for other people.
And I started posting for myself.
That’s when everything shifted.
I began sharing the good, the bad, the ugly, and yes — all the cringe. I posted messy behind-the-scenes moments, emotional wins, chaotic installs, and things that genuinely made me laugh. I let the real “me” take up space online. And instead of pushing people away, it brought the right people closer.
And then the creation of Dolly happened — my massive, handmade, 8×8 disco-ball wall that took over 100 hours, seven orders of disco balls, and more glue sticks than I care to admit. Documenting that journey — the risk, the struggle, the failures, the breakthroughs — became a turning point. People weren’t just following a business anymore; they were following a story. A vision. A creator chasing something wild and imperfect and magical.
Dolly didn’t just elevate my brand visually — she connected people to my personality, my process, and my passion. She became a symbol of what happens when you stop playing small and trust your bold ideas.
If people love what I post, amazing.
If they don’t? That’s fine too.
Because the truth is this:
If you aren’t creating content that resonates with you, you will burn out.
Social media becomes a chore. You stop having fun. And eventually, you stop showing up altogether.
My biggest advice for anyone trying to build their presence is simple:
Be yourself so loudly and so authentically that the right audience can’t help but find you.
Don’t post who you think you should be — post who you actually are.
Let it feel fun. Let it feel real. Let it be imperfect.
Make content you enjoy creating, and share the pieces of your life and craft that genuinely light you up.
Because authenticity built my audience.
Creativity grew it.
And Dolly? She helped sparkle it into something I never imagined.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my business is that pivoting isn’t a rare moment — it’s a lifestyle. In the balloon industry, almost every single install requires some kind of pivot. Truly. Nothing is ever exactly as it seems on paper, and nine out of ten times something goes wrong, shifts, breaks, doesn’t fit, or simply refuses to behave the way it did in my head.
We joke that balloon artists are basically professional MacGyvers, because we’re constantly improvising, adjusting, re-engineering, and reinventing on the spot. A wall texture is wrong, a ceiling is too high, a surface won’t hold an anchor, the weather changes, the balloons react differently than expected, the client changes the design last-minute — you name it, it’s happened. And when you’re experimenting with new styles, new techniques, or big artistic risks, the chance of needing to pivot skyrockets.
Instead of panicking, I do what this industry teaches you to do: I pivoted.
Reworking the structure, adjusting attachment points, rebalancing the entire design, and reshaping sections on the fly. It might not be the install you originally envisioned, but it ends up pushing you to problem-solve creatively, trust your instincts, and stay flexible even when everything around you feels unpredictable.
Creativity thrives in the pivot.
It’s where you figure out what you’re made of.
It’s where your skill shows up.
It’s where you separate “decorating” from actual artistic creation.
Pivoting is the heartbeat of this industry. It’s not something you do once — it’s something you do daily, sometimes hourly. And while it can be stressful, it’s also what makes this work electrifying. You learn to embrace the unexpected, to trust yourself, and to know that even when the plan changes… the magic can still happen.
In my business, pivoting isn’t failure — it’s the secret ingredient.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.Turquoiseskyevents.com
- Instagram: @turquoiseskyevents
- Facebook: https://Www.facebook.com/turquoiseskyevents
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/wBI241ul0r
Image Credits
@livtheadventurer