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

Alright, Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

To be successful, in my opinion, you need discipline, support, faith, and integrity. You need to be disciplined with your work ethic, it is much easier to choose to do something fun or easy instead of going to work but, when you are first starting out you need to work to build your brand, build trust with your clients and community; the fun will come! Be disciplined with your education and finances- keep learning to perfect your craft. Pour profits back into your business. Being a business owner is tough, you will need a support system- whether that’s from a spouse, family, friends, or even just self-care alone. You must take care of yourself first in order to run a business successfully. Have faith in yourself and your ideas, keep believing in yourself. Lastly, do the right thing by your clients, legally, and by your fellow industry colleagues.

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

I’m Stephanie Arciniegas, I was born in Cali, Colombia and moved to Florida with my family when I was 11 years old. I am a mother of two beautiful kids and owner of Inspired Events. My kids were my biggest inspiration to start to my own company. I had the idea to start an event business back in 2015 when I was pregnant with my son, Jordan. My best friends and I had weekly meetings leading up to my baby shower. I joked one day and said, “I’m going to start an event business one day”. Fast forward to 2018, I was pregnant with my daughter, Layla, and started to plan her baby shower. I looked online to find someone to help with the decor and I had no luck. That’s when I thought maybe I could do this. I was extremely hesitant; I had a great corporate career already and two kids, but I knew I loved styling events. Inspired Events was created out of passion and an outlet for my creativity. With faith and the support of my family, friends, and community – I officially started Inspired Events. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to say I have been a part of over 350 events thus far. At Inspired Events we offer a wide variety of decor services and rentals for all occasions. we partner with so many talented vendors for everything you may need from birthdays. baby showers, to your wedding day. We are a family operated business, you will often see my handsome other half, my kids, Mom, and sister helping with your events. I strive to do right by my clients and my community. I aim to capture my client’s vision while going above and beyond. I love to collaborate with other event professionals in the industry and will always extend my help and inventory to those starting out. As an immigrant Latina girl who came to this country without knowing a word of English- I can confidently tell you anything is possible with hard work, integrity, and faith!

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

One of the most beneficial things that have helped is doing right by my clients. I go above and beyond with their events. Not all events go as planned though, we are human, and mistakes happen. In those situations, I offer a discount on their next event or a refund for things that are not to expectations, even when the customer does not address it. I think that is so important in a situation that is not easy or expected, the client knowing they can trust you to do the right thing. Giving back to the community is another amazing way to build your reputation. I offer discounts for schools/teachers, military and first responders. I also sponsor many non-profits and fundraisers. it is a way to support your community and get your name/brand out there.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

The initial capital to start my business came from “my own pocket”. I worked overtime at my full-time corporate job to offset the extra costs of items I needed to buy for the business. I would go to thrift stores and garage sales for vases, tables, and chairs I could use in setups. As I took on clientele, I started to buy things as they were requested. Once profits started to show, I poured it all back into buying more inventory that could be rented out. I bought Peacock chairs, a candy cart, and various versatile backdrops.

Contact Info:

• Website: inspiredeventsfl.square.site
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/inspiredeventsfl
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/inspiredeventsbysteph
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Personal Photographer: J. Steve Photography Hair and MUA: Glam by Tiffany Event Photography: J. Steve Photography Hope Lane Studios