Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to T’Kiyah Outlaw-Kenon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

T’Kiyah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Quality control is a challenge almost every entrepreneur has had to focus on when growing – any advice, stories or insight around how to best ensure quality is maintained as your business scales?

As my company grow I maintain quality by vetting my clients. As a luxury wedding and event planning company we have to ensure that our clients are ideal for the services we provide. That means they must be ready to receive all we have to offer and in position to afford it. We also maintain quality within the company by putting customer service at the forefront of everything we do. The process is that much better when our clients are happy and overly satisfied with their services. We build relationships with our clients to make them and our team comfortable during their planning process. Owning a business means you also have to be a student of your field. For my company that means learning, growing and making changes as needed. Because, when you know better, you do better! YOU ARE IN CONTROL!

Those particular controls were needed because early on I found myself in unpleasant situations to the point where it made me second guess if I wanted to continue pursuing this career path. I instantly realized that I had lost control and needed to revamp my business policies and procedures. Here we are headed into our 7th year of business, with better clients, bigger budgets and beautiful outcomes. It’s fun again and the future looks bright at TKO Total Events.

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

TKO Total Events was birthed as an assignment in my entrepreneur class while attending North Carolina Central University. Of course at the time, I was literally doing the bare minimum just to ace the assignment and years later I found myself pulling out that same “flash drive” to actually pursue what I’d already started. Now we’ve we’ve been in business for almost 7 years planning 10 plus weddings & events per year!

TKO Total Events is a luxury wedding & event planning firm where we turn dreams into lifetime memories! Our specialty is luxury weddings but, we also plan social & corporate events as well. We solve all of our clients problems when it come to their wedding/event. As some have said I’m the Olivia Pope (Scandal) of this industry. I do like to pride my team and I in connecting clients to a large market of phenomenal vendors, keeping them updated on industry trends and curating overall fun & lavish events.

What sets us apart from others is our customer service. From the very first time we consult with our clients up until event day; we take pride in providing QUALITY customer service as well as an overall pleasant planning experience. The proof is in our client reviews! Providing high-quality customer service, educating our clients, and remaining consistent has gotten us where we are today. The TKO team all have the same end goal of producing seamless events with happy customers.

We are proud of the dedication and work we’ve done over the years. We are also proud of our growth. We are now working with celebrity couples, NFL clients, viral sensations, planning event all over the US and internationally.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Our most effective strategy has been building/maintaining a brand that speaks to our target market and keeping that consisty strong across the board on all platforms. We vet our clients and vendors. That alone has made a big difference in our events and the cause of each event being the best event!

Any advice for managing a team?

Understanding each team member strengths and weakness. I’m the type of leader that allow team members to excel in their preferred areas and slowly work on areas they may be weak in.

I’m also a leader that will not ask my team to do anything I wouldn’t do. I help my team as much as possible, but I’m not a micromanager. I train under the TKO expectation and then they figure out how to make it work for them, just as any job does (or should).

I’m always open to their advice and innovative ideas. My brain hurt for thinking sometimes, so to have a staff to lean on is the best feeling. Creating a culture where staff can lead keeps them motivated and the morale high. It also allows me to take a step back and not have to do it all. They got it and I trust them!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tkototalevents.com
• Instagram: @tkototalevents
• Facebook: @tkototalevents
• Other: Linktree: @tkotko

Image Credits
Capital Films DC Optikool Illusions JAO Photography Christian Reyes Photography Katrina Wise Artography