We recently connected with India And Alia Robertson and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, India and Alia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. f you needed to find a key partner or facility – how did you find them, what was the process of striking a deal like and what would you do differently knowing what you know now?
We transitioned to full-time balloon artists by first believing in our craft and being willing to take a significant risk. After spending many years working in nonprofit organizations, India (my co-owner) gained extensive experience in relationship-building and networking. The first step in building our business was getting our name out there, and the easiest way to do that was by having access to photos. We started by creating mock-ups at home for fun and practice. We used those photos to get our social media buzzing and encouraged people to engage with our work. While we didn’t advertise that the work was done in our living room, we consistently created and shared content.
Realizing we needed to expand beyond our own creations, we began volunteering to do work for close friends and family at no cost. The agreement was that we retained full rights to post images of our creative work and their events, capturing people interacting with our displays and their genuine reactions. We would also showcase the setup and breakdown process, which typically generated around five social media posts per event.
Once we had a basic social media presence, we launched our website, which served as both an informational hub and a portfolio of our work. This was a significant step because it made us look “official.” With the website established, we ordered business cards, which allowed us to start building corporate relationships.
Our first corporate job came from a small school event for Cleveland Metro Schools. India was attending a school event and approached the principal, asking who had handled their décor. She explained that we could create a more elaborate display and beat competitors’ prices. We took that opportunity to educate the principal on what differentiates a basic display from a grand one—how it could be more engaging and long-lasting, offering more value. We suggested setting up displays that the school could use for multiple events at a single cost, emphasizing that there was no need to dismantle them so quickly. We also educated them on the different types of balloons, highlighting the features and benefits. To prove our seriousness and professionalism, we volunteered to create a free display at a school board event. That event was the catalyst for our corporate work and led to our first contract. The principal we approached later became a chief officer for the district and introduced our work district-wide within three months. That’s the power of taking risks and networking.
Around the same time we started working with the school district, we used word-of-mouth recommendations to build a relationship with our local NAACP chapter. Again, we did the first event for well below market value to showcase our skills and demonstrate our commitment. The event went so smoothly, and we enjoyed it so much, that it felt like a natural partnership. Four years later, we still provide balloon displays for their gala at a reduced rate, and we appreciate the creative freedom they give us. While some clients want a simple balloon arch, we often feel we could deliver something more spectacular—at no extra cost—if they trusted us with creative license.
Since then, we’ve done around 75 corporate events and have had the amazing opportunity to do this work full-time.
India and Alia, 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?
Style.Ish is a family-owned and operated event decorating company located in Cleveland Ohio – serving all of Northeast Ohio.
Style.Ish was started by sisters, after years of throwing their daughter’s parties with such a unique flair. Friends and colleagues often asked how they got the ideas for the events because of their eye for detail.
We specialize in balloon design for private and corporate events. We use professional-grade balloons and those balloons that are safe for displays that need to stay in place for up to 2 weeks. We can match any color palette and add a vinyl logo to balloon toppers.
Whether you just want a focal point table, an entryway designed, or a seating area for the guest of honor; we can make that process easy and special – not to mention our pricing is competitive. We are willing to work within any budget by making realistic adjustments. We generally have most supplies on hand or the ability to quickly locate what is needed to execute the vision of our clients.
We are creatives – always pushing ourselves to find new ways to make events special and make moments memorable. We specialize in balloon art and event décor for the modern event including candy tables, treats, backdrops, sweat heart tables, photo opportunity areas for guests of honors, centerpieces, and overall event consulting.
Our services now include “Curbside” or “Porch” event decor and unique events for social distancing during these unforeseen times. We strive to make everyone’s vision come to life in a creative and meaningful way.
Hiring Style. Ish means we do the conceptualizing for you. You can be as involved as you would like. We will pull the look together so you can focus on the other details. Our invoice lets you know exactly what you can expect and deliver because our word is our brand.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
We’ve had balloon displays pop from extreme heat, and we’ve had people contact us to do a wedding, only to refuse to pay us for almost two years until we began filing a lawsuit. But the most difficult challenge came in October 2022, with my breast cancer diagnosis. I had my first mammogram at age 40 in August 2022 and was called back for additional images, followed by a biopsy. What was supposed to be a quick and routine procedure turned my world upside down.
I got the call the day after my 41st birthday, while on my way to complete an event set up. Just as we were celebrating our business growth and gaining recognition through word of mouth—boom!—I had to face stage 2 breast cancer. With no family history, I never even considered that the biopsy, done the day before my birthday, would be anything more than an inconvenience.
Suddenly, I was in a battle. I went through surgery, 12 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 rounds of radiation, and a year of immunotherapy infusions. It was devastating. My sister tried to help me cope while also keeping the business afloat. We went from seeking new clients to sustaining our business, to turning people away. My sister still worked full-time as a community health worker for a major health system in Ohio, while I could barely leave the house.
Our balloon business pivoted from focusing on private events as our main cash flow to only doing corporate events that fit better into our new business model. We revamped our fee schedule and invoice system, and while doing less business, we did larger-scale events and lost no income.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
We decided to invest 200 bucks into our initial start-up. Next, we grew our business by reinvesting half of every dollar earned back into supplies, training, and overall business expenses. Once our basic supplies were established, we invested in our website, marketing, business card, and so on. That 200 bucks turned into a first-year investment of 7000.00. some people think they need to have a large sum of money upfront to start a business but that I not always the case. This may not work for everyone but it does work if done correctly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stylishballoonevents.com
- Instagram: style_ish_balloons
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StylishBalloonEvents
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/style-ish-081374213/
Image Credits
wedding images Natasha Herbert