We recently connected with Hilary Coniglione and have shared our conversation below.

Hilary, 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.

At 12 weeks pregnant with my second child, I decided to take a leap of faith and leave a job during the middle of a pandemic. I was a mom, homeowner, wife, and also a large part of our financial security but I was also overworked, missing my family, and downright exhausted. After years of hustling to make it to Marketing Director for a veterinary corporation, I thought I had hit all the goals and made it to where I wanted to be but boy was I wrong. The dream I had before becoming a mom we realized and immediately a disappointment. With the support of my husband, I left corporate America behind to focus on my family, faith, and health.

My “hiatus” from the workplace lasted only a few weeks because I decided to take an even bigger risk… starting my very own business, and during a global pandemic! Again, with the support of my husband, friends, and extended family, I chose to launch a business that would allow me to be a mom first, a creator second and it was the best decision I ever made. In January 2021 Bluebonnet Picnic launched. We offered luxury picnics in the west Austin market and it was a smashing success. By late 2021 we grew our business offerings and rebranded to Bluebonnet Collective. Now we are a luxury event and charcuterie company. We still offer our pop-up picnics but we also get to partner with clients to plan bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, engagements, micro weddings, and more. We also sell our famous charcuterie boards, create large-scale grazing tables, and even dabble in flower arrangements too.

I took a huge risk, and it paid off tenfold. I will continue to push myself and accept risky challenges because my family and I have been so blessed by going “all in” and trusting the path we have been put on.

Hilary, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Bluebonnet Collective is a luxury event and charcuterie company located in Austin, Texas. We began as a safe and fun way to bring people together during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with our luxury pop-up picnics. We have been in business since January of 2021 and within the past 18+ months, we have worked with clients to plan everything from a romantic engagement to a surprise wedding. We help businesses celebrate their employee’s dedication, baby showers, birthdays, and more. We also have the fun pleasure to work with brides and their friends to help decorate and plan bachelorette parties. We try to take our client’s vision and make it into a fabulous reality.

How did you build your audience on social media?

There are so many ways to grow your social media presence and for me, I wanted to have an authentic audience of potential clients, current clients, and people who love all the pretty things in life. While I do some targeted ads on Instagram, I do not pay for followers. I have instead gone the slow and steady route of letting people find us through our reels, ads, and through the support of our community. It’s not a quick process but it’s been fruitful and we get so much business through our social channels.

Additionally, we have a community Facebook Group that has about 25,000 people in it. On Tuesdays, I use that as a platform to post for #smallbusinesstuesday and I am blown away by how successful that is. Engaging on social through community groups has been a huge boost to our little business.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Reputation is KEY! I am thankful that I spent several years working at Yelp about 10 years ago. There I learned just how important is it to not just receive great reviews but to also be perceived within the community and someone FOR the community. I have built our reputation by being friendly, accommodating, thankful, and dedicated to every client no matter how big or small the job might be. I want them to know that I care about them, I care about everyone in the community.

Something that was helpful for us in growing Bluebonnet Collective, we joined a business networking group, BNI, and our local chamber of commerce. This means that not only do I serve my community but I am actively working to build better relationships with others that do the same. My network has grown which means I have more folks out and about sharing my reputation and business with their network.

Ultimately, the proof is in the pudding. If you provide a great service/experience and show you care about your clients, your reputation will flourish.

Contact Info:

• Website: bluebonnetcollectiveatx.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluebonnetcollective/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluebonnetpicnic
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bluebonnet-collective-lakeway