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

Tequona, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk that I took was running and operating my business full-time. As an Event Designer, there are highs/lows, and your peak season for events. The industry of event planning is forever evolving and one must be willing to adapt and keep up if one desires to remain pertinent. The saying “When God gives you a vision, He makes provision” has never been more true in instances such as that. During off season, one may not receive as many bookings, leaving one to wonder how will they sustain. When that happens, one may look for ways to elevate the services offered perhaps by adding another, or simply revamping your business. I have always looked for ways to invest in me to help me grow within the business. I have learned live floral arrangements, and learned how to construct other popular items to cater to individuals during certain times of the year ex. Easter, Graduation, Mother’s Day, and etc. I am my biggest project that I’ll ever work on so I do believe restarting, refocusing, and resetting myself much as possible. I just feel that taking risks is necessary for personal growth as it helps builds confidence. Taking a risk if it doesn’t pan out, offers valuable lessons and can bring forth new, fresh ideas. And it also helps build courage as the more risks I take, the braver and more decisive I become in other areas of my life. So taking risks has always helped me in the end and therfore I no longer mind taking them!

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

My name is TeQuona Neal. I got into the industry after several years of making my son’s Halloween costumes when he couldn’t find anything he liked. My creativity led people to encourage me to get into decorating. In the event planning industry, I help curate memorable moments for people through event design with live floral, custom props and etc. I strive to provide every customer with a personalized experience. I listen closely, plan intentionally, and design boldly. I have been in the business for six years and I’m proud to still be able to provide services in such a small town amongst many others providing the same service!
I would like for individuals to know that I truly strive to curate unforgettable experiences with a bespoke touch. I offer a different type of artistry in every design. Every event to me is a production, tailored with precision, elegance, and imagination! Every detail is intentional. Every moment elevated. I go out my way to transform your vision into something extraordinary-effortless, elegant, and entirely unique!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was “Being booked and busy” ISNT’T always a flex. While having a full calendar can mean demand it doesn’t always mean alignment, peace, and profit. Again in this industry where creativity is everything, constant business can lead to burnout, diluted work, and missed opportunities for growth. The real goal is to be intentional and profitable. Working for clients who energize you and me building my business thay thrives without me getting burned out. Busy isn’t the badge. Balance, impact and excellence is!
I had gotten so many bookings and I actually got burned out and wanted to step back and away from the industry all together. But I had many to encourage me to not step down from it. However I did step away for awhile to regroup and refocus.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I didn’t just post pretty pictures. I have always made it a priority to show how I created custom props from the beginning to end. I have shared behind the scenes glimpses, celebrated with my clients their milestones like they were my own and treated every post, video, and reel like a mini experience. If an event had a story, I told it from the inspiration to the transformation. I would focus on and celebrate my clients more than I promoted myself. But what helped the most was, I didn’t just post-I interacted and commented, replied and built relationships in my niche.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/iPlanevents2

Image Credits

Cynthia Ndelo Photography & Cinematography
Instagram: @cndelophotograpgy