We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Hoffman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for joining us today. So, folks often look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight – but that often obscures all the nitty, gritty details of everything that went into the growth phase of your business. We’d love to hear about your scaling story and how you scaled up?
What an inspiring topic this is that a lot of people don’t talk about these days. The work that goes into building a business especially in the beginning stages and all the nitty gritty behind the scenes is often disguised and I think it is important to share our stories with others. I worked in the corporate world for 10 years before branching off on my own. I worked for some incredible event planning & hotel/resort companies where I learned so much that helped push me to eventually branch off on my own. It was not an easy or safe choice as a steady paycheck and benefits is very attractive. However, I always knew I wanted to build and create things my own way in order to be ultimately fulfilled and satisfied in my professional journey. I will say… it wasn’t easy at first and still there are sacrifices I make to achieve my goals and be successful. When I first created Hoffwell Living based in Seattle, WA I did not have a big budget for marketing the business. It was all word of mouth and getting out in the community and letting people know that we were ready to create inspiring events. We took almost every job that came our way and said yes to about everything! Small budgets – medium budgets, we were in it to expand our network and get our name out there. We worked countless hours, almost every day for 2.5 years to build our portfolio and build our name in the community. There were numerous event nights that were filled with tears where we wanted to throw in the towel and call it quits but we are so thankful we stayed strong as we have created such a beautiful brand with the most incredible team of vendors we are fortunate to collaborate with and of course incredible clients.
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.
I am Jennifer Hoffman-Kim, the owner and founder of Hoffwell Living, a full-service event planning, production & design company based in Seattle, Washington specializing in social and corporate events. Originally from Ohio, I began my career in the cosmetics industry, where I planned and executed events for a leading beauty brand across the United States. This experience as well as working for a very reputable event planning company and a few different hotel brands honed my skills in event planning and styling, leading me to establish Hoffwell Living.
Hoffwell Living specializes in creating personalized and memorable events, with a focus on cultivating relationships and crafting unique experiences. The company offers a range of services, including full-service event planning, on site execution and event design.
Clients consistently praise our team for professionalism, creativity, thinking outside the box to personalize each and every event we are involved with and attention to detail. We are very lucky as we get to meet people all over the world from all different backgrounds and cultures and we get to customize and create experiences with and for them that they will never forget. A bonus is we get to stay in touch with a lot of them for years to come!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I had to learn how to say no which I still am learning! In my early days of owning my business – I said yes to everything for numerous reasons but mainly for financial reasons. I now try to interview clients as much as they are interviewing me to ensure it is a good fit for everyone all around.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl 6.5 months ago. I was actually working an event when my water broke – so that just shows how dedicated I am to the craft. I also went back to work 4 days after delivery! I still plan to work and grow my business but I am learning how to prioritize personal and professional goals and how to grow my team and delegate. I love my new life but it is all about balancing and juggling everything while keeping yourself somewhat sane! Work is extremely important to me and I have worked hard to get where I am so it has been a learning curve with adding a little baby in the mix but I am so, so grateful and can’t wait to continue staying busy & inspired in all aspects of life!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hoffwell.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoffwellliving/
Image Credits
https://www.intodustphotography.com/
https://www.brooksphotovideo.com/
https://www.francisralph.com/
https://www.garrettryanhanson.com/