We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Keeley Edens a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Keeley, thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

There are many attributes that successful people possess, but I think the most common – the most consistent – is Patience. It’s not new information, but success does not happen overnight, nor does it happen linearly, so having the patience to see it through to the end, is extremely important. In my experience, I’ve overcame some of the hardest speed bumps (funding falling through, co founder leaving the business, and ghosting investors) just by being patient! It gives time for the heightened emotions to settle and allows for more rational, more productive decision making.

Keeley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My years of experience in business operations, wedding planning, hospitality services, corporate events and operations management have helped me grow into an expert in all facets of event planning and along the way, I realized that something needed to change within the industry as a whole. Fees were hidden until last-minute bookings and there was too many secrets between clients and suppliers. It felt like a big game of telephone that didn’t want to be a part of anymore.

And so, with the help of a co-founder that ultimately had other plans for her future, I created the first-ever event tech platform that bridges the gap between client and vendor. Plan Voyage is a mobile app for clients to answer a specially curated questionnaire about their event and what they’re interested in seeing. So, you can input all the details of your vision, the location, the budget, and everything in between – all in the time it takes for your coffee to brew. and I am so excited to share it with y’al

No fine print, no reading endless pages of Yelp reviews, and no dreaded games of telephone. You can relax knowing Plan Voyage has done the homework for you. What we’re most excited about and ready to yell at the top of our lungs, is that our extremely talented and passionate vendor network will be filled with small local businesses of each market we’re in. #shopsmall

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

LinkedIn is SO powerful. I had sent out and submitted our pitch deck to dozens of investors and capital firms, with no call backs, and it was getting really disheartening. We tried a KickStarter campaign and while we were able to raise through the support of our friends and family, technology is very capital heavy to get off the ground.

So, I spent my “nights off” on LinkedIn – commenting, liking, connecting, viewing profiles of those I wanted to notice me, and just kept active. One morning I woke up to the email of a lifetime and was able to land a meeting with a capital firm the next day. He was excited to use our product, and most importantly, to be a part of the Plan Voyage team. To this day, he’s been a valuable asset to this company and I owe a lot of it’s success to him.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

This question hits close to home. I’ve had many tests of resilience over the course of my entrepreneurship journey, though, I would say the toughest was losing my co-founder. When building a company from the ground up = literally from an idea between friends, to execution: presenting to others, building a brand, and planning the future, it creates a sense of dependency on one another. You’re both doing something you’ve never done before, in a way no one else has ever done it, and you’re charting new territories together. It’s equally electrifying and terrifying, so that partner is there to be that person that knows EXACTLY what you’re going through, giving that sense of comfort we all look for.

So, when I got the news that mine was choosing a different path in her career, her life, her future, it nearly broke me. It made me second guess the very pillar of motivation and drive I stood on since the beginning, and it challenged my faith in the future of the company. Entrepreneurship can feel VERY lonely, but this was the first time I had felt truly alone and it was the most scared I had been. Had I just wasted 3 years of my life building something I don’t have the faith to see through? Was I about to lose my fire burning passion to transform an entire industry? This is where I paused and practiced patience – I needed to let the dust settle and my emotions regulate.

With the support of some incredible people in my life (my parents, mentors, and friends), I was able to redirect my “scary thoughts” to more positive ones. Was I about to tackle to change an industry-wide norm by myself?! Is my passion for this problem THIS strong that I’m willing and excited to do it alone?! And then I built the motivation back up from the inside out.

For those experiencing the inevitable speed bumps – my advice to you is to be patient, remind yourself they are just speed bumps, pivot if you need to, and KEEP GOING. If you’re anything like me, you will beat yourself up if you don’t!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://goplanvoyage.com/
• Instagram: @goplanvoyage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plan-voyage/
• Youtube: Plan Voyage, Inc

Image Credits
Miranda Kewley and HerLaunchStudio