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

Shirley, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Thank you so much for having me. I was asked by a very dear friend (Lupe) who is like family to officiate his wedding. It was an honor for him to ask me but I was not Ordained. I quickly looked into how to become Ordained. I became Ordained in January of 2013 creating Weddings By Shirley. Unfortunately Lupe lost his battle with cancer so I was not able to officiate for him. I started officiating for my friend’s as gifts then quickly became comfortable with officiating weddings for others. I am a hopeless romantic so this perfect for me. Seeing two people who love each other, join together as one through God and love is something truly special. I always want to provide a unique and memorable experience for my clients. Towards the end of 2021, I started to think what else can I do and offer our community in the same line of work. I started doing research and looking at different ideas of what I thought would be a good fit for myself and for our community. I noticed we only had 2 local photo booth companies. With our town growing so fast I thought it would be a great addition and go hand in hand with being an Officiant and weddings celebrations. In 2022 I drove down to the county clerk’s office to obtain my DBA. I actually had a name picked out but was not 100% sure that’s what I really wanted so driving down the clerk’s office I prayed on it and asked God and my Dad for a sign. I spoke out loud and said, “I just want to build something special and leave my family a LEGACY” and boom that’s when a light bulb lit up in my head. There’s my name; Legacy Photobooth & Party Rentals. This is a tribute to my Father who passed away in October of 2019 and the Legacy is for my daughter Renessa, grand daughter Alexis, snd future generations to come. This name meant more than a Legacy though; my Dad had a motorcycle club called LEGACY back in the 80s so it meant so much more using this name. This was my tribute to him, a way to honor him. I obtained my DBA in January of 2022. I did a lot of research and looked up different photobooths. Being very particular I wanted to have a unique photo booth; something state of the art. I finally found the perfect photo booth and ordered it. It took about 6 weeks to manufacture and while that was going on I was learning the software and doing more research on pricing, marketing, and buying all my equipment and supplies needed. In May of 2022 I announced Legacy Photobooth & Party Rentals was now open for business and accepting bookings. It was a dream come true to be able to capture the memories of our communities special celebrations. To see them laughing, smiling, trying on party props, and just enjoying themselves with their friends and families made my heart so happy. I am all about celebrations, good times, and capturing memories to last a lifetime.

Shirley, 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?

I come from a long line of entrepreneurs. It is in my blood to be a business owner. It’s the American dream and I’m all about making it happen. I am a people person and just love meeting new people. I have worked in administration and accounting for many years. I was also a promoter in the music business in Houston for several years. I believe everything I’ve done in life lead me to this point. Learning and embracing it all. Being a part of my communities special celebrations is such an honor. I am humbled when I’m hired to Officiate a wedding or vow renewals and when I’m hired to have my photo booth and/or party rentals at someone’s special event. Providing amazing customer service, a great experience, top quality photos, and all with a smile is what I do best! I am professional, affordable, flexible, and willing to travel. I offer Officiant services, Photobooth services, King & Queen chair rentals, LOVE letters, BABY letters, 15 numbers, or LOVE table/BABY table/15 table rentals with 3 candy jars, scoops, satin candy bags, decor, and a personalized monogram projector rental. I’m so proud of the woman I am today despite all the trials and tribulations I’ve been through since a very young age. I’ve never had it easy and have always worked hard for everything I have. My Father was a single father and we didn’t have much growing up but we sure were rich with love. I also was a young, single mother but always made sure my daughter had what she needed. This business is one of the best gifts I can pass on to my daughter and grand daughter one day. I want to build this business so much to where we have a warehouse full of photo booths and party rentals with box trucks out on deliveries. Then warehouses in different cities. I want to help employ people in our community and state and have them be a part of our team. All I need is the clientele and to stay booked and it will all fall in place. Dreams that will one day be reality. I believe. God will always provide.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being a people person. Always wanting the best for my clients. Going above and beyond for them to ensure their experience with my companies are satisfactory. I always want my clients to be happy and well taken care of.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Starting a business isn’t a cake walk but if it’s what you want; you gotta just do it. I had no idea about the photobooth business but it’s something I knew I wanted to do so I did a lot of research on it. I’m always up for learning new things so it was a challenge; but a worth while challenge. Going through the motions of my first year learning your clients wants and needs, to bookings, and keeping all your paperwork etc in order. Then comes the economy crashing down on all of us. Small businesses are suffering greatly from the harsh economy. My photobooth business is not a need; it’s a want and to some a luxury. I realized that some of my clients couldn’t afford to pay half of the payment up front so I started offering payment plans to help them and help me continue to do business. You have to learn to go with the flow and keep your business going.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/legacyphotobooth22
• Other: Www.facebook.com/ordainedministershirley 713-240-4777 [email protected] [email protected]