We recently connected with Laurie Blasko and have shared our conversation below.

Laurie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

At the end of 2020, I left my position as an event coordinator for a country club after 5 years with the company. It wasn’t that I didn’t love what I did; I was in an unhealthy environment with terrible work/life balance and I needed to change it!

Don’t get me wrong… it was terrifying. I wanted to throw up every time I even considered stepping away from what I knew and what I was good at. I went through a year of “what am I doing with my life?”, bouncing from idea to idea until my husband finally gave me the push I needed to start a business where I would be planning events on my own.

Monarch Event Planning was created in February of 2022. I completed my check list: LLC? Check. Business bank account? Check. Website, logo, business cards? Check, check, check! I’m really good with lists, if you couldn’t tell. But I was hung up on the idea that maybe no one would want to use me. Maybe if I wasn’t associated with a venue, I would struggle with actually creating this into a sustainable, profitable business.

Not to mention, I was in the middle of planning a wedding of my own. It felt like a double whammy – practicing what I services would be offering to my clients as well as updating my knowledge in the industry with vendors, costs, schedules, etc. It was like God had me right where I was supposed to be, but I still felt unsure of how I was going to make Monarch happen.

When I finally booked Monarch’s first client, I had a huge sigh of relief. I knew I could do this, that this was possible, and I would be able to invest my talents and passions to helping people be fully present for their wedding, baby shower, birthday party, or any occasion. Everyone deserves to feel special, and I feel honored every time someone trusts me with something in one’s life that is worth celebrating.

Laurie, 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?

Hi, my name is Laurie! Coordinating events became a passion of mine after I began working in events back in 2016. I have coordinated over 65 special events ranging from weddings to baby showers to corporate events, and more!

I consider it an honor to build a relationship with you and your loved ones and to be trusted to work with you for your special event. In my opinion, events are the most fun and exciting experiences to be a part of. To see the look on my clients’ face when I’m able to see their vision come to life is my favorite part.

My job is to make your special day or event completely stress-free. I thrive when working in a fast-paced environment with my dedicated and friendly team. From room design to decorations to time management, I am confident that your day or event will be flawless and everything you’ve dreamed.

I love being challenged to use my creativity to put one-of-a-kind touches on your event. If you’ve ever had an inspiration and seen a vision in your head, but haven’t been quite sure on how to make it happen, that’s where Monarch Event Planning comes in.

I am your extra set of eyes, ears, and brain to make sure the execution of your event is perfect. I work with you to create a timeline and discuss logistics in making that happen. I connect you with several trusted professional vendors that I have personally worked with. I can help you manage your event budget, while not diluting the quality of your event. Monarch Event Planning also has a wide inventory of decor items, backdrops, games, and more that can bring your event to the next level.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn once I started Monarch Event Planning was the word “can’t.” I had to stop telling myself “I can’t.” For some silly reason in my previous job, I was conditioned to believing I could only go so far, I was replaceable and my ideas weren’t good ideas.

I had to stop looking at things half empty and start believing in what I had to offer. I had to reframe my mind and even how I spoke of things. Instead of focusing on the impossible, I focused on what I could make happen. This not only built my confidence, but it helped grow Monarch because others believed in me too. Once I got out of my own way, endless doors opened.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

The transparency, honesty and compassion I have for each one of my clients and each business I have worked with has helped build my reputation in events. I find it extremely important to be open, network, and build one another up. Not only do I want my clients to have an incredible experience working with me for their event, I want that for the other vendors too, and for them to be set up for success and grow. Being reliable and doing what you say you’ll do helps people to trust you, and when they trust you, they want to work with you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.monarcheventplanning.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monarcheventsnc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonarchEventPlanningNC

Image Credits
Savvy Leigh Photography, Michael A. Anderson Photography, Lindsey Greene Photography, R Turner Photos, and Kevyn Dixon Photography