The Bright Balloon

In this conversation, Tricia of Noree Events shares her journey of building a successful balloon decor business in a small community. She discusses the challenges and advantages of operating in a small town, the importance of community support and the strategies she employs to network and grow her business.  She emphasizes the significance of personal connections, the role of local businesses in f...

In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact steps I take to help determine whether my constant business ideas are worth pursuing. I'll share some of the most recent things I've considered, what I almost immediately scrapped and what is still a possibility. I'm talking about: Gut checks on passion and ease  Profitability  Time, energy and bandwidth Business compatibility Then I'll share a fe...

We're excited to have Kalisan curating another month of episodes for us, and to kick things off this time is DJ of Balloons in Bold. He is a fine artist who uses balloons as his medium, so it was cool to get yet another take on balloons as a form of art! He had worked as a balloon twister before turning to fine art as a form of emotional expression. Little did he know how much it would take off an...

If you've ever forgotten about a job, left your U-Haul door open when driving or gotten robbed at an installation… you're going to relate to what Rachel shares in this episode! She and I talk about some of our worst installations to date and, more importantly, how we handled them and kept moving forward. Even though the topic feels negative, Rachel and I couldn't help but laugh our way through thi...

If you've ever wondered what it's like working with and attracting high-end clients, this episode is for you! Chris of Balloon Design Studio shares with us how he goes after the big jobs, his pricing and more. Before we get into those details, hear about his first balloon arch job he did in the sixth grade! He continued running his business through college, then eventually knew it was time to dive...

In this episode I'm learning from Tracy of Joyful Party Co. (formerly From Me 2 You Creations) about what it's like to rebrand after being in business for almost 20 years. She shares with us everything that was involved in the process, including the financial impact it had. Learn about the services her original business started with, how her initial run with balloons was stopped short, how eventua...

In this episode I'm sharing how I track my numbers so that I know what's coming in and how I'm making my way towards my financial goal. Hear what keeps me focused, how I reverse-engineer all of my numbers to make a realistic plan and how I honed in on the exact type of customer I need to focus on. Then I'll talk through some of the main pieces of getting customers to rebook, what I've pulled back...

If you struggle with standing out in a saturated market, this episode is for you! Our curated sponsor HiFloat chose Noeli of So Pretty Balloons to come on the show and talk about how she's found a way to stand out in the crowded and very talented Miami market.  Before we get into those specifics, we'll hear how she followed signals for what direction to take in her business. I find it so admirable...

In another curated episode by HiFloat, we have another returning guest - Elisabeth of Pop of Color Balloon Design. Her and I are kindred spirits in the way that we want to build our businesses around our lives (and not the other way around). So in this episode, we're chatting about putting limits on our businesses as well as the advantages and disadvantages that come along with. We talk about how...

In another curated episode by HiFloat, we're reconnecting with Jam of Garden Place Balloons to hear how he's pivoted away from the huge, luxurious installs and into deliveries… which have become the bread and butter of his business! He's still got local balloon friends who have been and continue to be a major support for him when the big jobs do come up, but we'll hear more about this intentional...

In our first curated episode by HiFloat, we get to hear from the COO himself, Phillip… who is also a chemist! He shares with us some tips and tricks about using HiFloat and HiShine which I definitely didn't know before having this conversation.  Learn how humidity, proper inflation size, transport bags and even 60/40 valves impact HiFloat performance. And for HiShine, Phillip has two big tips for...

I LOVED this interview with returning guest Courtney! We're talking about pricing transparency and all of the objections and fears that might come with. But that's not all… we're also talking about website design, customer behavior and more. It was such a good interview with a bunch of nuggets like: Ways to pre-qualify your leads Why brand shoots matter If e-commerce really works for our industry...

In another curated episode by Kalisan, I'm reconnecting with Darren of SoCal Balloons and (among lots of other things) learned about a very cool arrangement he's involved in with some local schools to go in and teach balloon twisting to the kids! Darren twisted his first balloon dog when he was four. You'll hear how he started his business with his sister, branched off on his own, added decor into...

Mauricio knows our industry from multiple angles, so I was really happy when Kalisan chose him as one of the guests in their curated month. In this episode, he shares with us where he found help in growing his business, how he made his pivots and more. We'll hear about his rapid growth as a twister, which included doing some jobs for celebrities in Miami. He also shares a fun story about how ballo...

In another curated episode by Kalisan, we get to meet Katy of Bloom Inflatables. She takes us through some of the things that previously led her to burnout and what she's doing now to stay ahead of it. But before we get into all of that, you'll hear how an impulse purchase of a bounce house quickly turned into strategy and profitability for her company. She also walks us through the transition awa...

Kicking off this curated month by Kalisan is an interview with Kirstin of Create and Cherish Events / Kalisan! I met Kirstin quite a while ago at a Big Balloon Build, so it was so nice to have this opportunity to reconnect with her and hear about how she's still running her own decor business while supporting the folks at Kalisan as well. We'll hear how her business scaled and dialed back, as well...

In this final curated episode by Bri of Elevated Impressions / BWise Consulting, I'm so honored to host her as she announces the launch of her new small business product! I know I'll be using it for my business and I hope you'll consider doing the same. We get straight to it and hear about why she's developed her new product, plus more about her background that has been ingrained within it. It's c...

In this curated episode by Bri of Elevated Impressions / BWise Consulting, she is answering tons of questions that listeners wrote in with! We're talking about mistakes, retail, growth, organization and a whole lot more! We end with some rapid-fire questions and rapid-fire answers. Here are some of the highlights: What she'd do differently Pricing transparency & calculations Inventory management H...

In another curated episode by Bri of Elevated Impressions / Be Wise Consulting, we are talking about teamwork and friendship! Let's face it, sometimes we can get lonely, frustrated and feel isolated in this industry, so these two guests came on to share how they've created a support system in one another and how their different personalities prove that opposites really do attract. We'll hear where...

In this first curated episode by Bri of Elevated Impressions / Be Wise Consulting, we hear from her and her friend Jamie about creating mutually beneficial relationships with other vendors in the event industry. It's an episode full of tips like: How to initiate a connection What kind of traits stand out to event planners Industry research & immersing yourself in your community Requesting tours of...

I love any time a manufacturer comes on the show to share some insight into what they have planned to help our industry! This episode was recorded live at Fulcrum 2025, and we hear about the new products, new people and new things happening with Anagram! My ears definitely perked up when they mentioned the number of new foil designs and new formats they have coming for us this year… but we'll also...

I knew nothing about business credit before this interview, so if you're in the same boat - listen in on how you can essentially grow your business using other people's money! Sheila and I also talk about retail, multiple locations, growth, advertising classic decor and so much more. I've met Sheila at Balloon Boss Summit but haven't been able to attend any of her sessions so I was thrilled to fin...

If you've ever wanted to hire a freelance balloon artist, or be hired as a freelance balloon artist, this episode is for you! I get all the details about how Jules travels and country and helps other balloon businesses while managing her own balloon business, too. We cover everything you need to know about this new perspective of balloon decorating, including details about the kinds of tasks she's...

When I reflect on all the exciting things happening with the podcast, not only am I incredibly grateful, but it's also really fun to look back at how it all started. So in this episode, I'm re-listening to my first handful of episodes and asking myself, "Do they still hold up?!" I thought before listening that I had a pretty good idea of what I said in these early episodes, but I actually kind of...

In our final curated interview from TUFTEX, I made a new friend in Angharad (AKA Annie) of Angharad's Party Art in the UK. I loved hearing about the similarities and differences we experience across the world!  She tells us how when she started her business, she faced a very familiar issue that we do in the states - childcare. She continues to adapt her business based on her family needs today, to...