We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Ulloa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
I believe in 100% transparency with my clients. Communication is key. My clients know they can reach me whenever they need me and I will do whatever is necessary to help/fix/problem solve. Even if your event is over a year away, I am always available to them
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
I have always been that person who friends ask for help whenever the need to plan a party. After feeling the post-wedding blues from planning my own wedding, I decided to tip my toes into planning professionally.
While working full time as a teacher, I took on the bulk of planning my sister-in-law’s quinceanera, and slowly built from there. I eventually went on to work for an event rental firm to get to know the business hands-on. Working there, I met some of Miami’s most well-known planners. I was able to learn their design processes, see how they interact with clients, and how they work on site. After a few years in the trenches, I decided to go on my own and focus all my efforts into my own company.
I’m most proud of my ability to stay on top of things and juggling what seems like a million projects at once. I’m able to stay in touch with my clients almost constantly while planning and organizing everyone’s events
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Events by U was my side hustle for a very LONG time. I constantly had to work full time and juggle my passion in order to build it into what it is today. I started my business later that I probably should have and did not have the luxury of “not working” while getting it off the ground. It took years, but when I was finally able to let go of my corporate jobs, it was the most rewarding feeling.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think it’s mostly that I’m honest. Tactful, but honest. My clients know I value transparency and will do what it takes in order to execute the vision. I believe that has spread around the industry and my colleagues are aware of how I work. I’m often recommended to clients by other vendors in our industry because they know how I operate my business
Contact Info:
- Website: https://miamieventsbyu.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/events_by_u/?hl=en
Image Credits
Tessa Maxine Photography, Olivia Alvarez Photography, Miami Photo Inc., Captivating Collective, La Vie Studios