We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nicki Mesenburg. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nicki below.
Alright, Nicki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
So, I think it’s important to start from the very beginning before you ever even thought that you would start your own business.
I started in the hospitality industry when I was 16 as a dishwasher because that’s the only job I could get. From there I became a host, to a server, shift lead, supervisor, manager (in all different aspects from managing the bar to managing the staff), event assistant, event sales assistant, private dining manager, and event sales manager.
Sometime in the late 2010s I decided that I really did want to do this for myself, but then a lot of self-doubt happened so I didn’t. In 2019 I decided OK you’re going to do it. You’re going to plan events. You’re going to do the things… so I did what I think everybody does and got a website. And then I got a little bit stuck in the fact that now you’ve made a website and what do you do next?
I want to mention that I work for a lot of smaller corporations but within those smaller corporations there was an outline, there was a timeline, there was this is how you do it, there were procedures. Now, I have the background and I have the knowledge, but I must do it myself and I got really discouraged really quickly and I got stuck mentally once again.
So, for 2019 I did the website I started an Instagram account did a couple little things. I told my family and friends but really didn’t know what to do so I just kind of sat on it. 2020 rolls around and I decide I’m going to get off my a** and I’m going to just figure this s*** out so that was my plan to just not stop. I signed up for bridal expos, I started getting a packet together, really putting down pricing, list bullet points. Then as you know 2020 covid things happened everything got derailed but one thing that I did have from working corporate and dealing with doing events during recessions and housing market crashes is I knew how to pivot and I knew how to make myself more marketable so I put together covid packages, and as soon as things got a little bit loose I knew people still wanted to get married. I just had to make it easy and safe, so I came up with 3 different covid packages that were all based on doing weddings out of the couple’s home. 1. a ceremony only, 2. a ceremony and dinner, 3. ceremony, dinner, and dancing, all marketed for 50 people or less. I got all the vendors to come in together with set pricing. All the potential clients had to do was pick their package. I sold these packages within weeks of them being out.
And that’s how we got off the ground. Once we were out and working, we just kept going.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Then as you know 2020 covid things happened everything got derailed but one thing that I did have from working corporate and dealing with doing events during recessions and housing market crashes is I knew how to pivot and I knew how to make myself more marketable so I put together covid packages, and as soon as things got a little bit loose I knew people still wanted to get married. I just had to make it easy and safe, so I came up with 3 different covid packages that were all based on doing weddings out of the couple’s home. 1. a ceremony only, 2. a ceremony and dinner, 3. ceremony, dinner, and dancing, all marketed for 50 people or less. I got all the vendors to come in together with set pricing. All the potential clients had to do was pick their package. I sold these packages within weeks of them being out.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Starting a business doesn’t need to be expensive. I started it with $500.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eventsbynicki.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eventsbynicki/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eventsbynickimesenburg
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-mesenburg/
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/events-by-nicki-lathrop-ca-2068994 https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/events-by-nicki/7c45864d777ccbc5.html
Image Credits
Arjay Moreno Martha Hoang Dee and Kris Daniel James