Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tanisha Franklin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tanisha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have always been the friend/family member who did the planning of events and trips. I was the go to person if someone wanted to do something special. It started off as small events and trips for people I know. Then in 2009 I joined Facebook, that really changed my life. Along with connecting with people I already knew it opened me up to thousands of connections with people. I’ve joined a variety of Facebook Groups with like interests. I became active in groups and attended outings. After a year of navigating the groups I planned my first event. It was a simple white party where everyone just donated to get a reserved section….lol. That one party became a 3 day event for the Facebook Group, the following year. For the past 10 years I have been hosting multiple events and trips each year. With the largest event taking place December of 2021, a formal winter ball with over 350 guests. It was an amazing 3 day event and the ball was beautiful. For the past 10 years I have not done events for profit. I was putting together the events voluntarily. Each year I wanted to quit because it is hard work trying to please a variety of people from different backgrounds. I always came back because no matter how hard it got the final result to see people with a common interest be happy, free, and enjoying themselves was so gratifying. Throughout the years many people have told me I need to make this a business because I’m great at it and enjoy it. I won’t lie I did doubt myself because I was in a comfortable spot with what I was doing. This year was my year to decide what Tanisha 2.0 was going to be. My oldest son graduated HS and my youngest will graduate in 2 years. They have been my life for the past 18 years, now I am ready to prepare for my life as an empty nester. That along with how successful the So Icy Ball was is what made me finally move forward with starting my business. All these years of planning for a select population has prepared me to spread my wings and show the public what I can do. I am excited for what the future holds.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I answered a lot of this in the previous question, but to add to it I want my customers to be stress free. Planning a trip or an event can be extremely stressful. I am here to provide a one stop shop service to take care of all of their travel/event planning needs. When it comes to travel I take care of: transportation, lodging, travel insurance, car rentals, excursions, dinner reservations and so much more. For events I take care of the venues, decor, photography, music, catering and the #1 aspect that my clients love is me managing the guests and guest lists. Especially those who don’t get invited…lol. What makes me happy and proud is making wonderful experiences and memories that will last a lifetime for my clients.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Even though I have a very active social life and my business requires me to be social I am the opposite of that. I love being by myself in silence. The older I get the more I like it, but to be successful with my business I have to have the spotlight on me,on many occasions. I had a core group of people who were aware of the work I could do, but I had to expand my audience. I needed to get my name out there because I want my name “Tanisha Love” to be my brand. I had to promote myself. I did that by going to lounges and restaurants offering my services to bring in customers. I was so nervous to have to basically sell myself and get strangers to believe in me. The spotlight was all on me, which I was terrified of. Instead of giving up, I continued until someone said yes. Since then I’ve been doing promotions monthly and making great connections and bringing in customers for the restaurant.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Word of mouth is my biggest tool for growing my clientele. I make sure that my current clients have a seamless and rewarding experience with my services. In turn they share they recommend me to others. All of my new clients have come from recommendations from my original clients.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @tloveandfriends @tanishalovetravel
- Facebook: @tloveandfriends @tanishalovetravel