We were lucky to catch up with Lindsey Dardas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

I started my career working for venues. From the very beginning, I was able to see and work every side of a lot of different styles of events. I am incredibly thankful to be able to observe events from a very basic level. The experience alone helped me understand that you really have to think about events from a lot of different angles. After working so many events it became second nature to understand how groups of people act and how to predict different scenarios. Even my experience of being a Sales Director helped my understand that clients really want transparency.

Lindsey, 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?

After 14 years of working for venues, I started my business with a lot of experience on how to run successful events. Coordinating and planning come naturally to me. After so long predicting groups of people became second nature. I pride myself in sorting out potential issues before they become issues. Sometimes that means some extra communication with vendors, or changing the setup of a space, or just having the knowledge to pivot when something doesn’t work out as planned. Sometimes, especially on wedding days, things just happen and I try my best to solve it quickly. Throughout my career I have had melted cakes, issues with bouquets, setup done incorrectly, wrong colored linen, vendors show up late, an actual fire, raining in a reception space, and a whole lot of other setbacks that I have had to navigate. Truly, I could probably write a book! It’s just about how I pivot. Like adding floral and positioning a cake so the bride and groom never knew. Rebuilding a bouquet and adding flowers. Double checking setup and adjusting accordingly. Getting the correct linen delivered just in time. Being a DJ for the ceremony. Having the first dance in a parking lot. Even taking a wedding party out for more photos so a leaking ballroom has a chance to stop leaking.
Having my own business has allowed me to expand creatively, which has been such a blessing. Now I am not just creative in a pinch but I get to design really amazing decor, backdrops, invitations and so much more! At the end of the day, I am thankful for my clients trusting me and giving me creative control.

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

Starting my business was on my mind for years before I actually did it. The last venue I worked for, I put so much heart into. I worked diligently to improve its appearance, the guest service, the menu, the pricing, how it functioned. It was very much my baby and I was so proud of what it turned into. So it was easy for me to put my dreams on hold because I was comfortable making this venue amazing. Unfortunately, there was some shifting and management changed. My department was not prioritized and I found myself not only running events but very much stuck in the kitchen just to keep events moving forward. From cooking, to arranging displays, to washing dishes. I did everything I could to keep things moving, while management watched me drowning. Not only the venue’s reputation but my own was in jeopardy and the only one who cared was me. Being in the most toxic working environment that I had ever been in, I decided to leave. As they say, one door closed but I opened myself a huge window. Was it terrifying? Absolutely. Did I have to get another job at first to support my family as I got started? Sure did. Was it the best thing I ever had the courage to do? Unquestionably.

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

Building my review portfolio I think helped at the very beginning. I had some very happy clients that were thrilled to share their experience. From there I had to do a lot of work with venues. Once I could show venues that I am a helpful asset to have, they began to recommend me to their clients. I think coordinators that didn’t work for specific venues had a bit of a bad wrap. Experience alone really came into play here. Once I was able to work at a venue, I was able to show that I made their jobs easier with extra communication and helped them where ever I was able.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hollyhockdesignllc.com/
• Instagram: @hollyhock.design
• Facebook: Hollyhock Design LLC

Image Credits

Cassie Nicole Photography & Design