We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sam Maritnez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers

We started this business in 2016. We relocated to a new retail space after 3yrs, and then we were approached by another business about the possible sale of their business. It took almost a year before we decided to go ahead with the purchase of a second business. Once we decided on the purchase, my Wife and I decided to merge it with our existing name and dissolve the other name. Fast forward 3 weeks…Covid shut the world down! We were in a bit of a panic as our business thrives on people celebrating and events. We had to make a few changes and offer different options to survive. Luckily, we did pick up 2 key accounts from the merger, and that really helped us along the way. As The world opened back up, we continue to grow not only in our existing storefront but also in the area where the other business was located. We survived! 7 years from our start, we are still here serving Mid-Michigan and beyond.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

This is the story of how my wife and I started our balloon business. This journey started with my wife, Jennifer, she began face painting for special events with our church. Jennifer was encouraged by the Pastor’s wife to grow more by offering this as a service, so she did. She offered face painting parties to earn some extra income. One of those parties took place at a local restaurant where there happen to be a magician who would work kids’ nights and He asked her if she would be interested in working a couple of nights a week here and there. She knew this would be a fun way to earn income, so she agreed. While working at this pizza place, I would come and hang out with her and have some food, and one night the Magician asked me if I had any talents, to which I answered no. He gave me a challenge to make balloon animals. He challenged me to make 10 different designs, simple ones, and then he would have me work some nights with my Wife. In 2012, I began working here every Friday night. We spent the next four years working hard to grow our business, both together and apart. We worked kids’ night at this restaurant until March of 2020 when the pandemic hit. Once things opened back up, they did not add their dining service back. In March 2022, I began working in 2 other restaurants for kids’ night and continue to do so.
In 2016 we decided to attend the World Balloon Convention in New Orleans, LA. This is one of the most well-known conventions in our industry. April of 2016 would change our lives. There were lots of things to consider about opening the storefront. We knew people would have to come to us for a reason, not just for “balloons”. We came up with a plan for our store and by June 2016, we were open. Nov. of 2016, I left my full-time management job to focus on growing the business. Creating an online presence was a huge challenge. We needed to let people know the benefits of hiring a professional vs. being a DIY. We had never seen a balloon-only store, so we took a chance on this niche. We knew our biggest selling point was going to be balloon sculptures and it worked well. We began offering balloon bouquets as well as custom creations. We made it through the first 3 years in Corunna, MI until our lease was up and we decided to relocate. One of the biggest challenges we faced was finding a location for our store. We looked at many different places before we found the perfect spot in Chesaning. 2019 came and we found our perfect location. We were a welcome addition to the community. In 2020 we bought out another balloon business from someone leaving the area. This gave us the opportunity to expand our presence. We made it through Covid and are still here today. We have worked all over Michigan with both private and public events, both big and small, and even volunteered with organizations like the Big Balloon Build. This is an organization that builds huge exhibits to raise money for local charities.
It’s been a fun journey and we know we are not done yet. Like every business, we have our ups and downs, slow and busy seasons. But through it all and proper planning, we can weather the storms. If you’re thinking about starting your own business, I encourage you to go for it! It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it!
Thank You

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

When we started this journey, we never thought it would take us to the places it has. We have learned so much from going to conventions and meeting up with people. This helps us boost our confidence in our craft.

The Face Painting and Balloon Twisting, or the entertainment part of our business, has been going on for 12yrs strong now. We started off doing small birthday parties in our community and surrounding areas. We eventually met people who worked for other organizations we would later be involved in. We have worked for many community events and corporate events. More than half of these events come from meeting people or recommendations from people who have seen us work.

We have been able to build our presence by providing good quality work and entertainment for people to watch. Although we market to kids’ parties and events with kids, the adults’ attention is captured by making amazing things with balloons. Word of mouth will always be a key factor in growing our business.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Here is a quick back story about my business partner and Wife, Jennifer. We have been together for 23yrs, Married for 17, and have three beautiful daughters 21,19, and 15. We met while working at a grocery store while I was in college. Jennifer left her hometown of Buffalo, NY, to live with her sister in Grand Rapids, MI. We have lived in many places throughout MI and even spent 4yrs in Buffalo be deciding to move back to MI. She is my rock and has always been willing to follow me anywhere, no matter how crazy the path!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.poppindecor.com
• Instagram: poppindecorballoonco.
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/poppindecorballoonco
• Youtube: balloonmansam8142

Image Credits
All Images were taken by Jennifer Martinez