We recently connected with Kelsey Burbey and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey, appreciate you joining us today. Along with taking care of clients, taking care of our team is one of the most important things we can do as leaders. Looking back on your journey, did you have a boss that was really great? Maybe you can tell us about that boss and what made them a wonderful person to work for?

Before I made the jump into event planning, I worked for In-N-Out for 16 years! Serving burgers and smiles was all I knew! But I worked under some amazing leaders who took me under their wing and molded me into the person I am today! Starting when I was a little 16 year old looking for my first job! I was lucky enough to be hired on the spot on my 16th birthday by a man who would frame my future with the company. His willingness to teach me not only work lessons, but life lessons is something I will take with me forever. He encouraged me to follow my passions, keep pushing even when things got tough and how to overall just be a great people person! I looked up to him so much, I followed him up to Phoenix from Yuma when I graduated college and ended up working for him for a few more years. In 2015, I made the jump into management where I got to work very closely with my Divisional Manager, Janine Perez. She was what I liked to call my Burger Mama! She taught me how to not only be a great manager, but an even better person and she really focused on my development and growth. I would not have had the success I did in the company (and in life) without her and the tools she provided!

Kelsey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am just a small town girl with big city dreams! Originally born in San Diego, my father was in the military so we moved around A LOT! We went all over California, to Hawaii, to Wisconsin, back to California and we finally settled down in Yuma when I was in 6th grade. Even though most people aren’t a fan, I loved Yuma and growing up in a smaller town! I graduated high school and attended Arizona Western on a full scholarship for basketball where I graduated with my Associates in General Studies with an Emphasis on Science. From there, my goal was to transfer to ASU to finish my bachelors in Kinesiology to ultimately become a physical therapist. I was going to school full time while working a full time job AND two part time jobs! Can you say crazy?! I fell more and more in love with In-N-Out and decided to go int management and from there is history! I continued to work for In-N-Out until December of 2022 when I decided to part ways and pursue my dream of event and wedding planning. It was definitely not an easy decision. For years, my life had revolved burgers and fries! But I had always been the friend in the group to plan, organize and throw most parties! Even back in high school when they were a little more frowned upon. I knew I wanted to take planning more seriously and decided in September of 2022 that I was going to make this my thing! I joined a few different bridal Facebook groups, promoting myself as a newbie, hoping someone would take a chance on me! Lucky for me, there were a few different people willing to trust me with coordinating their wedding and I got to help with my first wedding in November 2023! I feel like what sets me apart is my overall dedication to each client! I put as much effort and passion into planning and coordinating each event as if it were my own. There is no task to small or large that I can’t tackle and I love a good challenge!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Let’s talk social media! It is an aways evolving world and something I am still looking to get even better at! It all started with simple Facebook groups! I joined multiple bridal and event groups and scrolled through endless pages, commenting on posts looking for help! Facebook and Instagram have been huge for me. From there, I was able to build some clientele which ultimately lead me to building my website! The biggest piece of advice I have for those just starting to build a social media presence is just DO NOT GIVE UP! Owning a business is a roller coaster of emotions! One day you have 20+ website visitors, and the next you have 1. I still give myself a hard time every once in a while, asking what I could do to make myself more known, but they fact that I am where I am in a little over a year is a great reminder to keep pushing,

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Reputations are huge! I have booked many clients simply through word of mouth and that means more than some may realize. Not only is my reputation important when it comes to clients, my reputation and interactions with fellow vendors is critical! I want vendors to see my name and be excited that I am planning or coordinating an event they are on simply because they know I will go above and beyond to make their job as easy as possible as well!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://desertdarling.info/
• Instagram: @desert.darlinggg
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089408481119

Image Credits

Rebecca Yarnell , Brayley Josephson, Dana Maruna