We recently connected with Kimberly Mack and have shared our conversation below.

Kimberly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.

Several changes are needed in American schools to improve the system and its students. Educators need to be in charge of and make decisions for education; we must allow children to be children, and stop making children feel that everyone must win.

As it stands, the book companies and politicians make the decisions that dictate how schools are run. But what expertise do they have? The fact that they attended and graduated from school gives them the right to make decisions, regardless of the impact these decisions may have on the students and those who must implement these decisions. Politicians determine the students’ learning objectives, while textbook companies decide how and when students learn.

If we truly want to effect change in America’s education system, we need to allow children the opportunity to be children. Formal learning in this country often begins too soon, typically in pre-school; consequently, by the time the child reaches high school, they are often burned out on learning. In addition to being too soon, there are too many learning expectations. Some students never master a learning goal before they are forced to move on, thus creating gaps in their learning. In countries that are ahead of the US in education, students have only a few learning expectations at a given grade level. In these countries, students must master these skills before moving on. Consequently, there are fewer gaps in learning.

Another change that needs to occur is the “Everyone must win” attitude or approach that has been preached since the mid-80s to “help build self-confidence in students.” While the concept may be sound, it is not the reality of life. Life has its winners as well as losers. We have inadvertently taught our young people it is NOT okay to lose; consequently, when young people are not the best at something or not as good as someone else, they become angry, shut down, and/or give up. Then, older people want to know why we have such poor sportsmanship, negative attitudes, and students who struggle to complete tasks. Just as young people have to be taught to win gracefully, they must be taught how to recover from a loss. Young people must be taught that failing or not being the best is not the end, but rather a learning opportunity—a time to reflect, evaluate, and improve. I believe that those who are most successful are not necessarily the most talented, but rather those who work the hardest and are not afraid to take risks and fail. That cannot be done with an “Everybody must win” attitude or approach.

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 stumbled into the wedding and event planning business. I was invited to a friend’s (Tara) wedding in a vacation spot. A couple of my friends asked to join me. I asked Tara if they could be added in, and I paid for their meals. When we called to tell her we had arrived in town, Tara was hysterical, her dress wasn’t finished, and her wedding was the next day. I asked her to gather some snacks and drinks, it was going to be a long night; it was then that I revealed the ladies I brought with me were professional seamstresses. The ladies taught me the stitches needed to complete Tara’s dress, and the three of us went to work. We made it fun by talking about how Tara and I met and some of our adventures. Time flew, and the dress was completed in time for us to return to our hotel and get a few hours of sleep.

The next day, Tara called excitedly, thanking us for her dress. The ladies and I arrived at the church early. It was a beautiful church, so I decided to explore. In my exploration, I overheard the groom (Cory) speaking with his sister about Tara’s entrance song. It seemed Cory’s sister was slightly hoarse and couldn’t sing the entire song. They struggled with other options. I had heard enough when I excused myself for overhearing. I gave the option for Cory to take over and sing Tara down the aisle. They both loved it and decided it was to be a secret. I joined the ladies as the ceremony was starting. Tara had a big smile on her face and looked beautiful in her dress as she and her father walked down the aisle. Then Cory’s melodious voice (similar to Larry Graham) took over the song. Tears rolled down Tara’s face as she walked to her future. Cory finished the song Frank Sinatra style as he descended the stairs and took Tara’s hand.

The reception had its issues. The meatballs were cold with the gravy congealed, and the rest of the appetizers were less than appetizing. Dinner consisted of overcooked roast and undercooked chicken. The rice was mushy, and the vegetables were overcooked. Learning from Tara’s mother that the caterer hadn’t been paid in full, I asked for the final check. I then pulled the caterer aside in the back and asked if his work was up to industry standard. His answer surprised me, mainly because he said it so nonchalantly, “It’s good enough for them. This is probably the best meal they’ve ever eaten.” My response was that the money he received was all he would get. He threatened to take us to court, and I reminded him of the pictures I had of the food. The rest of the evening went flawlessly, and Dream Event Services was born.

From that experience, I learned to anticipate pitfalls , which occur on the journey towards marriage. This is what we at Dream Event Services do best throug our mantra, Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I do not depend on Dream Event Services for my livelihood. Yes, I wan the business to flurish and become as big as possible but not for me. My goal, my ambition is to become big enough to hire people in a state of tranistion and train them to become planners or workers in the industry and be independent.

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

During COVID, I knew people still wanted to get married and celebrate the special events in their lives. The event industry was suffering severely. A friend, who also works in the industry, and I were discussing ways to stay within the safety rules, serve potential clients, protect our workers, and at least break even. After a few long discussion sessions, we first created pop-up weddings in the park that had live video. Then, the most popular activity was a drive-in graduation. Several other companies adopted this idea, but we were the first to implement it. The difference was that ours had every aspect of a graduation in it, from the entrance of the graduates to the special music and choirs, and to the speakers. The most beloved part was the turning of the tassels. The grads loved the idea of being able to watch themselves graduate with their classmates and families. When it was all said and done, we were both able to provide a service for others, generate an income for our staff, and break even.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dreameventservices.com
• Instagram: @dream_event_services
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamEventServicesCLE
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dreameventservices/
• Other: threads: dream_event_services

Image Credits

Scott Gloger SGMP photography

Shot With Asia’s Camera

Sasha Prince Photography

The Urban Suite Design