We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lea Rhynehardt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
As an African American, Female entrepreneur, I believe that everything I am doing and every accomplishment serves a bigger purpose than self gratification. Although I have a Wedding Planning business, the brand behind my business allows me to use who I am and be true to myself to offer planning services to clients and couples. I deliver service with sincerity and authenticity to work as planning partners with clients and couples to bring together ideas and make memorable moments.
Everything about my business and my brand started as a hobby that I decided to turn into my profession. Dedication, determination, and prayer, a whole lot of prayer, are the only tools I have to build my empire and leave a legacy. I am hoping to build a legacy that radiates, with God anything is possible. I am hoping to build a legacy that instills self value and self belief.
When it is all said and done, after I have established, owned, and operated a 7 figure business entity, yes I’m setting high expectations for myself, I want people to say how a brown girl from Winston-Salem, NC was brave enough to find the life she wanted and courageous enough to chase it. I aspire to be a business woman who wakes up and loves what she does, teaches others how they can do it, and just be a staple in the lives of the young girls that look like me. I want people to think how I used my brand to empower a community, created a business to cure generational curses, and seize opportunities to strive for greatness.
With the present, five, and ten year goals I have set for myself, my brand, and my business, when they’re all accomplished I hope to be remembered for being the best at what I did because it was done wholeheartedly.
Lea, 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?
Lea Rhynehardt is a Winston-Salem, NC native and an alumna of NC State University #GoPack. She’s vibrant, passionate, and just a vivaciously contagious vibe. As I have shared before my family and friends have always come to me with event ideas that I turn into a reality. Being Class President from the fifth grade through my senior year of high school, I was always planning some type of event ranging from: spirit weeks, dances, proms, pep rallies, to fundraisers. I’ve also been planning, decorating, and coordinating family events such as: baby showers, family celebrations, and I mean even my own birthday parties takes hours of “behind the scenes” production. This unrecognized passion at the time, then carried on into a professional setting as I was appointed the School Events Coordinator during my former profession as a Middle School Educator. If we could include personal experience I’d definitely say that I have over 10 years of planning and coordinating experience, however, it wasn’t until my best friend asked that I not only be her Maid of Honor but also the Wedding Planner. So excited I accepted both roles not realizing what I had actually committed to at that moment.
My first “clients” were a bride and groom who wanted full planning services for a destination wedding in New Orleans. Which sounded like a piece of cake, until I was told we would be working with a little under eight month turnaround. Taking the challenge on, as it was still known to be just a hobby of mine, it was an immediate jump into being apart of and managing everything: researching and connecting with venues and vendors, creating inspiration boards on Pinterest, Dress hunting (which was my favorite part) and cake tasting. I am forever grateful that she and her husband completely trusted me to create their special day. Fast forward through all the planning and execution, I had received so many compliments from the newlyweds’ family that it was a complete success, and we know the Moms and Aunties don’t sugar coat anything. After a weekend of celebrating love in the French Quarters of NOLA, the bride called and as we were reviewing the “honeymoon outfit itinerary” (which definitely is a thing and is very much so important), I remember the conversation like it was yesterday, she literally asked “So what’s holding you back now?” And that’s when Lea Rhynehardt & Co. made its entrance into the Wedding industry, June 2021.
Lea Rhynehardt & Co. is an “All things Wedding” planning and coordination company in Raleigh, NC, but, no need to worry we enjoy traveling and are open to servicing other areas, cities, and states. I developed this saying that has become what we stand on, once you say “I do,” we got you. Meaning, as your planning partners we take pride in being by our couples and clients side every step of the way! From start to finish, and sometimes even after wedding day!
I feel when offering planning and coordination services my “Couple-Centered” approach is what makes me different from others. We know every couple is different and we start all of our planning journeys meeting couples where they are, to then work together, to create the Perfect Wedding Day. Our couple-centered approach to planning is where it all begins and ends for us. We take the time to get to know our couples, THEIR wants, desires, and non-negotiables, to get an understanding of how they want to showcase THEIR love story, on THEIR wedding day. Notice the emphasis on THEIR! Throughout the planning process many of our couples and clients start to feel like family to us—and we’ve been told the same by many of them! I mean the fact we get to be apart of one of the happiest moments of a couples lives is an honor.
Currently, I am most proud of the consistent growth of the company. Building a good following on social media, the client referrals, and the incoming inquiries of service is a great feeling. Knowing that there are people who have interest in my brand and the services the company offers honestly surprises me everyday. It’s a feeling of amazement. I recently was selected to be in the Buy Black Guide’s “Black is Beautiful” Bridal show this upcoming August in High Point, NC. When I received the notification that Lea Rhynehardt & Co. had been selected, I instantly had tears come to my eyes. I currently still have a full time career along with me building my brand and this business, so for me this felt like a reward for my hard work, long hour days, and commitment. There’s a saying I tell myself often “the harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it!” The opportunity to be in this showcase to share my services and the potential booking of clients and couples is a moment I am looking forward to and I am extremely proud of!
I want Lea Rhynehardt & Co. to be known for its Wedding Planning services but I also want the brand and its meaning to be known as well. I want my business and the journey to be a testament to what all is possible with a plan and a prayer!
Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?
Yes, Lea Rhynehardt & Co. recently launched “The Stationery Collection.” This office collection is built up of self-designed writing materials and office supply essentials. The Stationery Collection was inspired by the idea of who I am as a person. I can openly admit that being an over thinker is my weakness. During my undergraduate studies, I used to overthink so much and my mind would constantly be working that I’d forget certain things. Overtime, I took that weakness and still to this day I am continuing to build a stronger muscle. I have become reliant on daily planning, keeping updated calendars and taking notes, which has actually turned into a strong interest for me. I enjoy the organization part of it. The Stationery Collection is me sharing who I am and helping others become more organized with life. It’s also giving potential clients and couples insight into how we are the best at what we do when it comes to planning dream weddings. I love the idea of sharing our “how-to” secrets! All of our planning processes begin with the traditional pen and paper experience. And honestly, every part of who I am now and the direction I am praying that my company goes is all possible and planned out in a notebook!
Also, The Stationery Collection recently was approved to be sold on the Walmart.com Marketplace, that is currently in the works, so be on the lookout for that soon!
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I’ll be honest, initial capital I didn’t have that. Funding to start a business, I didn’t have that either. Some of us entrepreneurs and business owners, or let me speak for myself, are building from scratch. For me, there’s just plans, persistence, and a prayer literally. I didn’t have funding or initial capital to start my business. One thing I have learned and embrace about myself is I “play the hand I’m dealt.” You know those popular sayings that are going around Instagram like “If don’t worry about it, I’ll figure it out was a person,” that’s me. The risk to start my business was deciding if I wanted to keep something I’m passionate about and naturally talented at as just a hobby or if I wanted to pursue it with aspirations to make it a life long career. I decided to go for it!
Believe it or not if you looked at the images, videos, and spoke with the guest of the first wedding I planned, I’m sure not a soul knows, not even sure if my best friend knows, that all the planning I had done, pulled off, and elegantly executed was all done from a notebook, my iPhone, and great wifi.
Now at this point, as a growing business, along with bookings for planning packages, purchases from the Stationery Collection, I also follow a monthly budget to where a percentage of my full time income is set aside to invest specifically into the business.
Currently, I am continuing to build the brand, business awareness, and business credit. When the opportunity presents itself I’ll cross the business/bank funding bridge when I get there.
Contact Info:
- Website: Http://LeaRhynehardt.Co
- Instagram: LeaRhynehardt_Co
- Facebook: Lea Rhynehardt & Co.
Image Credits
Cloud TEN Photography