Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Megan Manchester. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Megan , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

In May of 2021 I was currently working full time planning corporate events and trade shows for a company out in Nashville. I was traveling before COVID hit over 200+ days a year, living out of a suitcase and in hotels. I was getting burnt out and needed to find something else. In September of 2020 we had decided to move from Dallas, TX to Panama City, FL with our 2 dogs and newborn daughter.

Once we got settled in PC, I had a friend that told me to try out balloons and do some for fun for family/friends birthdays, baby showers, etc. to see if I would like it. I did lots of Youtube, Google searching, and social media following to learn all the ways of making balloon decor. Well….here we are a year and half later and I guess you can say that I truly am LOVING it!

My very first paid install was for Make A Wish Foundation! It was the most nerve racking order as I was still so new, wasn’t sure of all the things, and was in charge of making this little girls wish come to life. It was her and her family traveling to Destin for the weekend as she had just gotten word from doctors that she was healthy enough to travel. Elisa had never been to the beach before and they wanted to make sure she had the chance of a lifetime to go before her condition worsened. One of her requests was balloons!

It was literally the BEST feeling ever! To see Elisa’s face light up as she walked thru the home that was filled with balloons just for her, was the only reason I needed to keep going with my business and to flourish it to where it is now today.

Looking back now, I definitely would have started my business sooner if I knew the amount of joy that we bring our clients each and everyday with the fun balloon decor we are able to do! I don’t think I have any reason to change about my experience of starting out in this balloon business! The wish for Elisa was exactly what I needed!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Having been an event planner for the majority of my career, I always imagined life as one big party! In 2021, I expanded my skillset to custom balloon art and decided to bring that zest for celebrating into my own company so that I could help others make their parties stand out.

One of the things I’m most proud of is my first balloon order. It was with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and I was able to bring a little girl’s wish to life. The entire home was decorated with balloons and being able to see her expression when she walked through the door is one of the main reasons why I love what I do. I get to bring joy and smiles to kids, families, events, etc. with my balloon designs, party rentals, and event planning. Everything about BAE 30A is 100% customizable and we work with every budget big or small for all your event needs.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I had a balloon install for a client that ended up being moved to an outdoor event last minute. It was not only moved outside, but it was also very windy and was moved to the beach. I was installing a large balloon garland on a wooden panel backdrop and I had strapped and tied down the balloons like I normally do for all of my installs. When I left the install everything was in place and wasn’t moving. I ended up getting a call 2 hours later and about 30 minutes before their event was supposed to begin that the balloon garland had fallen down and some of the balloons had flown away. I was exactly 30 minutes away from them and told them I would rush back to fix the garland but that I would be arriving at the time their event started. My client was okay with that as the balloons were the main backdrop piece for the event…that event being a gender reveal. I rushed back to the event as I wanted to make sure my client’s event went off without a hitch…well, with maybe the one hitch being the balloons partially falling off the backdrop. When I arrived, the damage my client explained to me on the phone wasn’t near as bad as I was picturing. I quickly blew up more balloons to fill the spaces for those that had blown away, and then came up with a new way to attach the balloons to the backdrop so that this wouldn’t happen again.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I would say most recently I have had to pivot not only in life but also in business. In November, I had my 2nd child and also decided that I wanted to expand my business. I have had to pivot in life with learning how to juggle the needs of my toddler and newborn. Making sure they are both happy and my toddler is kept busy has been quite the learning curve. This momma is exhausted but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Then in business I am currently expanding my current home office and moving into a storefront. I will also be adding more party rentals, luxe bounce houses, and marquee lights to the business come 2023. Things are forever changing and pivoting for my small women-owned business and of course my beautiful family of 4. I can’t wait for 2023!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.balloonartevents30a.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balloonartevents_30a/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BAE30A