Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jam Stewart. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jam , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I’ve been doing events since I was a six-year-old kid helping plan the arrival of my little sister. While kids my age were playing Legos and with the Easy Bake Oven, I was creating elaborately themed parties for my stuffed animals. And really, not much has changed as I moved into adulthood. I’ve always gotten my creative juices flowing when planning party. Professionally, events have always been a part of my remit and now I get to stretch my creativity even further with Picnic PopUp.

We came up with the idea in early 2020 and wrote a business plan. And then the pandemic hit and we had to hit pause to deal with the many challenges we were all facing as life suddenly changed overnight.

But as early summer sprung, we realized that the pandemic actually provided a unique opportunity for us and we went to work again on bringing the idea to life. People were starting to feel cooped up at home and hadn’t been able to get out to see friends. Everything was shut down and so many people were looking at socially distanced ways to reconnect.

An outdoor picnic was a great solution – a perfect way to safely spend time with close friends and family and still be socially distanced. And as we’ve evolved, that still remains a draw for our picnics. But really at the core, it’s about togetherness and doing something personal and bespoke.

It’s also been a big part of my family life as we’ve done this together. My partner is British and picnics were a big part of his culture growing up. His insights and feedback have been invaluable. My 14-year-old is a budding stylist and has done tons of research and helps us create our looks. And I jokingly call my 18-year-old son, who got his license this last year, my VP of logistics!

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?

Picnic PopUp is a unique, luxury picnic and slumber experience. We create the perfect ambiance for those magical, memorable moments. We’re on a mission to bring people together to celebrate life’s special occasions.

We are known for going the extra mile. While we have some “themes” to choose from, each picnic is really personalized, bespoke. We work with our guests to curate something that is truly reflective of them and the occasion they are celebrating. No detail is overlooked. From a bottle opener to stain remover, we’ve thought of everything.

We also offer “Slumber PopUps,” a dreamy new experience. We’ve taken elements from our picnic experiences, sprinkled in a few stars, added a little fairy dust, and turned it into a magical, memorable sleepover picnic. This luxury nighttime PJ party is perfect for any age, but most popular with 7-14 year-olds. We take care of everything and our guests enjoy it all in the comfort of their own home.

We also offer a variety of add-ons to complement the picnic experience. The most important thing for us has been working with other like-minded partners who meet our level of quality. It’s all about our guests and the overall experience. We also love working with local women-owned businesses. There’s so much talent here! Most of my partners are Williamson County-based.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There is this amazing quote from Amelia Earhart that is at the heart of everything I do – she says, “the most effective way to do it, is to do it.”

I love this because so many times we can get caught up in strategizing and planning and end up in paralysis. Sometimes you have to lean in and just try something. You learn so much for leaning in!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The story of Picnic PopUp is actually all about pivoting. I came up with the idea in early 2020 and wrote a business plan. I was just starting to think about launch day when the pandemic hit. I had to hit pause to deal to deal with the many challenges we were all facing as life suddenly changed overnight.

But as early summer sprung, we realized that the pandemic actually provided a unique opportunity for us and we went to work again on bringing the idea to life. People were starting to feel cooped up at home and hadn’t been able to get out to see friends. Everything was shut down and so many people were looking at socially distanced ways to reconnect. We quickly pivoted, dusted off the business plan and launched!

An outdoor picnic was a great solution – a perfect way to safely spend time with close friends and family and still be socially distanced. And as we’ve evolved, that still remains a draw for our picnics. But really at the core, it’s about togetherness and doing something personal and bespoke.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.picnicpopup.com
• Instagram: @picnicpopupnashville
• Facebook: Picnic PopUp Nashville
• Other: Tik tok – @picnicpopupnashville

Image Credits
Jam Stewart