We recently connected with Jihan Francois and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jihan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, let’s take a stroll on memory lane, back to when you were an apprentice or intern. What’s a memorable story from that time that you can share with us?

In 2017, I started my own business and decided to become certified as a wedding and event planner. Despite having a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and an MBA in Marketing, I believed that having more letters behind my name would be beneficial for my business. Additionally, I felt that I still had more to learn to make my company successful.

After completing my certification at the Lovegevity Institute, I was awarded the Dream Maker Award for my work during the course. As part of the award, I received a scholarship to attend the David Tutera Event Planning Symposium in 2018. This was a dream come true for me since I had always admired David Tutera. During the event, David chose two attendees to work with him on one client event during the following year. I was one of the lucky winners! I chose to work on a wedding in Brooklyn, which was scheduled to take place in two months.

David’s team flew me to New York, arranged for my accommodations, and gave me all the information I needed for the wedding. The wedding was a massive undertaking, with a forest built by hand on a patio, an entire ballroom transformed into a lush green garden, and the surprise reception entertainer Jennifer Holliday sneaking in. The bride’s parents were long-time clients of David, and they had high expectations. Although I had executed events and weddings before, I had never done one on this scale or under the guidance of someone I admired so much. I was extremely nervous.

However, I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn things I would never learn by doing local weddings on my own. I gave myself a pep talk and reminded myself that David chose me because he liked what he saw in me. So, I was myself, asking questions, stepping in to help when needed, and showing everyone my genuine personality and work ethic.

I learned so much by watching David and his team run the rehearsal, manage the timeline, interact with vendors and clients, and execute the actual wedding day. I anticipated the needs of everyone involved, went above and beyond to ensure that the bride, groom, and the wedding party had a smooth day, and never said “no” or “I can’t.” Whenever any issues arose, I thought, “What Would David Do?” and addressed them without bothering David while he was busy doing the heavy lifting of bringing a dream wedding to life.

At the end of the night, while the family and guests danced the night away, David pulled his team aside, including me, and commended each of us for our hard work. This highlighted his essence as a leader and cemented to me why he is one of the go-to celebrity planners in the country.

When I returned home, I saw that David had written an amazing post about my work on my Facebook page. Additionally, the couple and the bride’s parents wrote to David, praising my work and suggesting that I should be a part of his team. I was thrilled and cried tears of joy.

A few months later, David’s team invited me to work on their new show, “My Great Big Live Wedding” on Lifetime. I worked on two episodes, one in Charleston, SC, and one in Key Largo, FL. This was another dream come true for me since I have always wanted to work on a TV show. I earned this opportunity through hard work and genuine actions.

My experience with Lovegevity and David Tutera taught me to always put my best foot forward, to never discount any experience or opportunity, to always be my genuine self, and to never stop learning and growing. I also learned how to be a better leader and team member, and it informs the way I manage my team to this day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always been business-minded. I started my first company, a friendship bracelet-making venture, at the age of 8. I hired my friends, gave us all titles, created order forms, and even had a friend design hand-drawn business cards. Since I was the president, I planned and organized everything. My passion for planning and organizing events grew in college, where I worked for local party promoters and my friends’ event marketing company.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship from Hampton University and an MBA in Marketing from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. I have worked professionally in various marketing and communications roles, and event planning was my favorite part of each job. Due to my experience planning and executing events since college, my best friend asked me to plan her weddings. I had my first wedding in 2008, and I was hooked. After that, other friends and family asked me to help plan their special days. I liked weddings more than any other type of event I had done and started thinking about how I could do more of them.

In March 2017, I officially launched Amani Affairs, naming it after my middle name and the essence of what I created my business to bring to our clients – “faith, desires, aspirations, wishes, harmony, and peace.” My goal is to help inspired and overwhelmed couples and families create unique and one-of-a-kind events. My purpose is to help people experience one of the best days of their lives.

At Amani Affairs, we offer Event Management, Partial Planning and Design, and Full Planning and Design to clients all over the country, but mainly to those hosting events in Coastal North Carolina. Our signature service is full wedding planning and design, where we work with our couples to create the wedding of their dreams. We can plan everything from the Rehearsal Dinner and Welcome Party to the wedding and, finally, the Post-Wedding Brunch. We aim to exceed our clients’ expectations and are determined to make their dreams come true by creating unforgettable experiences for all involved.

Amani Affairs is a boutique wedding and event planning firm. We only book one wedding per weekend because our clients are our sole focus on their big day(s). Each client works directly with me to ensure they get the best service and insight possible throughout the planning process. We are known for creating events where our clients’ personalities shine through. You know it’s an Amani Affairs wedding because it looks different from most weddings you see, and the personal touches are evident. I am most proud of the fact that we work with all kinds of couples. Everyone is welcome at Amani Affairs, and we make every event we touch FABOULOUS!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In May 2007, I graduated from business school and joined the nonprofit sector. At 26, I was the third youngest graduate in my program that year. I also became the youngest Director of Marketing & Communications for any division of the arts center I worked for. All the other Directors at my level were my parents’ age. I was the first person in this position and tasked with creating the department and strategy from scratch. It was a challenging experience, but I was ready and excited to tackle it. I also bought a home a month after graduation. It was a busy and exciting time.

By mid-2008, the market began to crash, and the recession began. Companies in all sectors were making cuts, and marketing and communications departments were often the first to be eliminated at non-profits. Many organizations were also taking the last-in, first-out approach to reducing staff. In early 2009, I was informed that my position and department would be eliminated in a few months. Fortunately, I had time to search for a new job.

In May, I started working at my business school’s Career Management Center as the Marketing Coach for current graduate students. I was pleased to have found a job but disappointed that I wasn’t actually working as a marketer. In 2011, I realized I missed marketing and started looking for a new job. I found a role that I was excited about and left in May.

Unfortunately, my new job ended up being quite different from what I had anticipated, and by July, my position had been eliminated. I ended up being unemployed for eight months. During that time, I did some freelance consulting work and considered starting my own business, but I was too concerned about finances to take the risk. When I started my next new job, I was excited for a new opportunity.

A year and two months later, my position, along with three others, was eliminated. I was unemployed once again, and this time for 14 months. Eventually, I secured a job in a different state, rented out my house, and moved halfway across the country for it. It was a newly-created job at a non-profit. But nine months later, my position was eliminated once again.

So, in the span of five years, I was laid off four times. By the fourth layoff, I was lost. My confidence was shattered, my spirit was broken, and I didn’t know what to do next. I ended up moving into my parents’ new “forever home” in a new city and state. I felt like a failure and was too afraid to find another job. My parents provided a safety net, allowing me to relax, regroup, and take my time figuring out my life. Because of this support, I found the courage and determination to start my business, Amani Affairs. It’s been onwards and upwards since then. My company is about to celebrate its seventh anniversary and is a testament to my family’s support and my resilience.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

When I first started my business, I was new to the city and state and had no connections in the area. I live in a small town where most people in my industry grew up here, married someone from here, or went to college here, so I was at a disadvantage. All the weddings I had planned previously were in different cities, states, and even countries – I had never planned a wedding in the place where I lived. Due to this, I didn’t have strong relationships with vendors, which wasn’t helpful in my quest to establish myself in my new city.

To build my reputation in Wilmington, networking was key. I researched all the local wedding vendor groups and the most popular venues in the area. Then, I signed up for the email lists of every group, added every event to my calendar, and made networking my full-time job. I attended every event being held and was usually the first person there and the last person to leave. I helped with setup and clean up, spoke to every person, and followed up with them afterward. Many of the people I met introduced me to other vendors they thought I should know and recommended venues I should reach out to. I also friended everyone I met on Facebook and Instagram.

After a few months of steady vendor networking, I began reaching out to venues and asking for meetings and tours. I brought a slideshow on my iPad showcasing the various weddings I had planned and the reviews I had received. I also highlighted the corporate and celebrity events that I had planned to ensure they knew I wasn’t new to event planning and brought a wealth of experience.

Once I worked my first event with David Tutera, I shared the experience with fellow vendors at industry events and posted about it on my personal and professional social media accounts. Many of them approached me to ask about it. I shared photos, videos, and stories about working on his TV show. Having David “co-sign” was the final step in establishing a great reputation and helped me book local weddings.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amaniaffairs.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/amaniaffairs
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/amaniaffairs

Image Credits
Lightbloom Photography Chris Zachary Photography The Axtell Photography & Films Temple Deanna Photography In His Image Photography Glyn Stanley Photography