We recently connected with Jennifer Troy and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I believe success takes determination, integrity and a strong desire to achieve your end goal.
Working in the event industry can be tenuous; its an industry that relies on disposable income and at times, it makes it difficult to deliver the desired product on budget while still achieving profitability.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello! My name is Jennifer Troy and I am the owner of Glorious Galas, which is a full service wedding and event planning company. I’ve been in love with events for as long as I can remember, however my road to becoming a wedding planner wasn’t the traditional one. I went to school for English Literature but I’ve always served in a hospitality role in various capacities; from church to social organizations to family & friends, I’ve always been the one to spearhead any planning for social events. It wasn’t until I began planning my own nuptials that I realized how much I enjoyed the planning and logistics of it. How my ideas went from paper sketches to full design. After my wedding, I had a few friends approach me to help with planning their weddings. Facebook really is a journal of sorts. I’ve had statuses going back 13 years that have all dropped hints related to my ultimate destination. It’s really a beautiful testament that you cannot outrun the destiny God has for you.
The biggest pain point for most couples planning their wedding (outside of finances) are logistics. How to create the vision they have in their head without breaking their banks or backs. That’s WHY I became a planner. I love the behind the scenes mechanics that serve as the platform for a beautiful wedding day. That’s what makes me different from most wedding planners. Many have a deep love for design and decor (as do I) but logistics is my jam!! I want to see well created plan come to fruition.
One of my proudest moments was being able to fully embrace my calling. As a child, I envisioned that I’d be a teacher and in some ways, I am. I’ve worked not only with clients but with emerging wedding professionals. I’ve been able to impart my wisdom to those who are just cutting their teeth in this industry. Wedding planning can tend to be very linear unless you embrace every potential aspect of it and in the last two years, I’ve been able to do just that. I’ve written a book, entitled Wedding Timeline Magic, that breaks down how for DIY brides how to plan their own wedding. I’ve led two classes for new planners called ‘So you want to be a wedding coordinator’, which has been met with great success. I’ll be launching new content in early 2023 that will continue to grown my business beyond just wedding planning.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The largest pivot for the entire event industry was the pandemic. In 2020, the event industry as a whole took a huge hit; personally, it cost me over $25,000 in business. However during that time, I was able to begin the pivot to my business model. I wrote a book; I began a series called Covid & Celebrations, which was well received on social media; I also began to focus on micro events for more intimate gatherings. Each of these was done almost instantaneously and they were the catalyst for some permanent changes that I am making to my company.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn is that I am NOT my ideal client!!
This is one that many new business owners struggle with, because most of us start our businesses because we have a need that has to be filled. We, essentially, start out as our own client. As we grow in our business though, we may have to come to terms with the fact that our service or product serves a different demographic than what we initially thought it would. It took some time for me to reconcile that fact but once I did, it was freeing. I was able to really release myself from selling my services at a price point that was not only unsustainable but not profitable as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gloriousgalas.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gloriousgalasofficial
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/GloriousGalasLLC
Image Credits
Photography provided by: Nicole Ashley Allen Studios Garrett Media Group Client Provided