Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Agard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jennifer , thanks for joining us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?
I think we take for granted how incredibly meaningful, and increasingly rare, family businesses are. My journey began in a small garage, and was made possible by a seemingly endless supply of love and support from my Grandmother. There is something special about working beside the people who love you, something you cannot get anywhere else. When people get together to do hard things for no other reason than they believe in what they’re doing, it becomes palpable. You can feel it in the air. The hours of early mornings and the late nights were not recorded anywhere, we just kept going until the work was done and we did it grateful for the person standing beside us.
Our beginning was filled with hard work and grit, something she had been teaching me for years before I ever even had the inkling of a floral shop or wedding venue. There were so many late nights, so many hiccups and unforeseen challenges along the way, and she carried me through it all. That love and support not only changed me, but also my family, and eventually my community.
Because of my family business I was able to employ my nieces, build a future for my children, and treat my community with the same love and care I had been given when I needed it. Love is contagious-and I cannot speak for every family business, but I can tell you with confidence love lives in ours. It colors everything we do, and allows us to be the best version of ourselves. Family businesses cultivate love, passion, dedication, and a sense of serving those around you, at least in my experience.
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.
When I entered the special events industry I was focused on bringing new and innovative design to my community, and wanted to help my clients realize their artistic dreams for their big events. That intention quickly developed to also providing a deeply personal touch to my clients, to ease their minds and instill trust during some of the most stressful and meaningful times in their lives.
As a family business it became policy to keep things personal, to stay engaged with people in the moment, and to find ways to bring visions to life while also meeting people where they’re at. I am incredibly lucky to wake up everyday and facilitate the most impactful moments in peoples lives, weddings, celebrations of life, baby showers, I get to be there for all of these beautiful moments.
As a business owner I aim to provide not just flowers, or a venue, but service that puts you at ease. I want to be the reason you enjoy your wedding, the reason that the only thing you thought about all day was how your life was full of all the things that are most important. I want to take care of everything so that you can save every thought, every feeling, every tear, for how full your life is of joy and love and happiness.
The art is important, but what really defines my work is my fierce dedication to giving you the day you can reminisce on for the rest of your life. And for the rest of my life, I will be honored to provide that service.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I believe in fostering relationships within the industry that strengthen our individual businesses and elevate our client’s experience. As a floral shop and a wedding venue owner, I am unendingly grateful for the countless professionals in the wedding and special event industry that share my passion for creating a seamless stress free event.
As much as I try, I cannot be everywhere at once, and I have the utmost respect for the people who work alongside me to pull off once days that truly only occur once in a lifetime. I believe when you treat your peers in a way you would want to be treated, and when you make it obvious that you are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, that your reputation speaks for itself. I recommend vendors to my clients that share my passion for a job well done.
I build my reputation by showing up and doing my best for every client, every time, and in doing so I have built a network of likeminded people doing the same. The end result is a community that holds each other accountable, celebrates each others victories, and looks forward to working with each other. All of that diffuses into every aspect of our clients experiences and creates not only business, but community.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
We of course try to make our services available to the community at large by advertising at things like the Portland Bridal Show, and keeping our websites up to date and easy to use so that interested parties can always find us.
However in the special events industry word of mouth is key. How you perform on every single event will have a direct impact on your future calendar because these are deeply personal moments for everyone we work with. If your loved one had a wedding with us that facilitated their ability to be in the present moment and drink up all the joy and happiness around them, you might really want us to provide you that same experience. But if your loved one had a wedding that was filled with snags and hiccups, problems and things to worry about, you probably won’t want that recreated on your special day.
Recommendations from the people you love and trust the most, will likely always be our largest source of clients. And for that reason we pride ourselves on showing up and giving 110% every single time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://graygables.com/
- Instagram: graygablesestate
Image Credits
Amanda with Ambiant Sky Photography