The Bright Balloon

Nicolle of POParazzi Balloons is based out of New York, and she has been in business for more than 12 years, so I loved talking with a veteran about not only her celebrity decor jobs, but also competition, growth and continuous learning. In this episode we chat about: staff and roles how she started to get the big, celebrity jobs (plus some name drops!) when to do traditional vs. organic decor......

Whether you're preparing for a vacation, going to a convention... or even hosting the Big Balloon Build, it's a good idea to plan for the time away from your business. Not only to be able to participate in the event, but to actually be able to enjoy it! In this episode I'm sharing some of the ways that I prepare to be out of the office and away from my business for an extended period. First, I mak...

Jeff has been on the show before, but previously representing his umbrella company, Asset Lab. And some of us remember Balloon Suite from years past... well Jeff and his team have taken it under their wing, and I am so delighted to have him as a huge supporter of the show and our balloon community.   In this episode we talk about how his team can help balloon business owners move past doing busine...

I've had a day job for as long as I've been doing balloons, but as of now... I'm officially self-employed! After 10 years at my former employer I realized it was time to resign. It was never even something that was a goal of mine, but as things got busier with balloons and this podcast, my day job quickly became the thing that I enjoyed the least.   Some of the things that helped me decide it was...

Here's another bonus episode of what we've been learning about over in the Bright Balloon Book Club! Join here! Last month, we read Get Different by Mike Michalowicz. This episode is a brief overview of the key takeaways!    Thanks to our sponsors!  17hats (get 50% off your 1st year) Havin' a Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT) Balloon Suite BalloonCoach.com

I've had my eye on Elizabeth's designs for so long and when I saw that her husband Adam left his full-time job to work in their business, Extra Betty, I knew I wanted to bring them on the show! Here's an overview of what we talked about! Their business story: from laid off, to consistent growth in two years, to Elizabeth staying at her full-time job, Adam leaving his and the complex emotions that...

It can be really hard to keep up with social media! Not only that, but I think nothing can derail your confidence faster than scrolling on Instagram.   Yet, social media does give us an opportunity to market our business for free. So I'm always trying to find ways to feel better about my approach to it.   I first heard the phrase "posting with purpose" at Balloon Boss Summit and it's been my focus...

Having gone to New York City for New Year's Eve recently, my mind was kind of blown thinking about running a balloon business in a city that has that much traffic and congestion! So Jam of Garden Place Balloons (in Queens) comes on the show to tell us about some of the ways working in a big city have impacted decisions he's made in his business.   We talk about: how he outsources some of the physi...

Jenny is the owner of Three Sparrows Balloon Studio in Ontario and has an interesting business model that I wanted to hear more about! Her balloon studio is actually a subdivision of The Fete Studio, which she owns 50/50 with her business partner Mel.   They came into the business with different strengths and interests, and continue to operate using those same strengths to this day. Jenny tells us...

Here's another bonus episode of what we've been learning about over in the Bright Balloon Book Club! Join here! Last month, we read Do Less by Kate Northrup. This episode is a brief overview of the key takeaways and a huge life update!    Thanks to our sponsors!  Havin' a Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT) Balloon Suite

Some of the phrases that we hear over and over again in business can actually be pretty damaging to our business, our mindset and our self esteem. This episode is going to debunk these phrases in order to help you stand your ground and build your business in a way that works for you!   Phrase #1: "The customer is always right".  I feel like I've heard this one since childhood! But it totally strip...

I know data tracking sounds boring and overwhelming (and it can be if you let it), but there are ways to collect and use data without feeling like you're going in circles! In this episode I'm sharing with you how I'm collecting my data, what I use it for and how to keep it simple.   And let me just start by saying that if you're running your business through Instagram DMs, unfortunately you're goi...

Social media kind of stole the hearts of business owners and left email marketing behind for a while. But now, with less and less of our social followers even seeing our posts, and businesses just disappearing into the night after being hacked, I'm all in on email marketing again this year.   In this episode I'll share the why, the how and the what about email marketing... the ripple effect it cre...

Elizabeth's balloon business is in Arizona and she specializes in offering custom colors for her clients. She shares with us the story of how her decor business started and the two major reasons why she took on the technique of double-stuffing (which has now become a helpful subscription for other balloon pros!).   The two major reasons she double-stuffs is to: - preserve the design in extreme hea...

Here's another bonus episode of what we've been learning about over in the Bright Balloon Book Club! Join here! Last month, we read through The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. This episode is a brief overview of the key takeaways!   Thanks to our sponsors!  Havin' a Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT) Balloon Suite

Before I get into the details of how I'm outsourcing my Grab & Go Garlands, let me take you through a brief history of my progression with Grab & Gos: - started the service last year with inspiration from Ali of Charming Garlands - established a pickup spot that felt more appropriate than at my home - generated about $12k of additional revenue in 2022 because of the Grab & Gos! - created a Grab an...

This episode is all about positive reflection on 2022! My wins, your wins and our collective win-wins! I've absolutely LOVED reading your comments on Instagram and am so inspired and grateful to you all for sharing.   Some wins from 2022 that I'm so excited about: The book club, and specifically The Pumpkin Plan Hiring bookkeepers and an inflator Learning and growing from interviews, plus a bucket...

In this episode, I'll share with you some of my favorite gift ideas for your clients, your employees, other vendors you work well with... and yourself! I've even got some no-cost gift ideas to share, and acceptable ways to repurpose balloons as gifts in your community.   My favorite types of gifts are always small, consumable things that don't put much pressure on myself or the recipient, because...

This will be the first year that I've ever had a full marketing strategy going into the year. I just feel like turnover at so many companies has not slowed down since the pandemic, and it's time for me to start taking better care of some of the relationships I have with my best customers.   My actual strategy, though, might surprise you!   My approach will include: Facebook first: posting with pur...

I LOVE goal-setting, and that it gives me something to reflect back on when I'm feeling lost or confused with different choices available to me. In this episode, I'm walking you through how I've filled out the latest version of the Bright Balloon Business Planner! Including: - what my 2022 goals were - the symbolic upgrades that helped me reach them - more reflection on my business - what I'm work...

Here's another bonus episode of what we've been learning about over in the Bright Balloon Book Club! Join here! Last month, we read through Chill and Prosper by Denise Duffield-Thomas, who always inspires me. I'll share a few key takeaways from that book and cover a few other top lessons learned in the book club this year.   Thanks to our sponsors!  Havin' a Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIG...

I love automation and figuring out ways that technology can save me time. I would actually estimate that the mix of platforms I'll be telling you about in this episode save me 5 hours of work a week! It can definitely be a process to implement some of these, but knowing what kind of freedom is at the end of it really does make it worth it. I just know that having these automations is what has allo...

Chase and Alex from Premium Conwin come on the show for this episode to talk about how their two companies joined forces for the better of the balloon industry.   Their support at some of our biggest events has been simply incredible and I can't wait to see and experience what's ahead thanks to their merger. For so long, these two companies have felt like the backbone of balloon decor and now we w...

I've been getting a lot of messages lately about balloon drops, so I thought I would dedicate a whole episode to share some of my thoughts and experiences with them!    They're so much different from regular decor because they have to actually function and entertain your customers. And that can make them really stressful! But balloon drops are such a great way to get your foot in the door at place...

Personally, I've had awesome luck running a home-based business, but I know that can't and won't always be the case. Jamie comes on the show for this episode to tell us all about her new shop, including special considerations she took in the process of getting it.   It was so fun to hear Jamie's business story again. From laid off, to every balloon popping on her first job, to now having her own s...