The Bright Balloon

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...

In another episode curated by TUFTEX, I'm chatting with Dolly & Eddie of Delloons again! Since our last conversation with them, they've had another baby and moved into a boutique retail space… so needless to say, there's a lot to catch up on and I appreciated their honesty and openness. And don't miss a bit of behind the scenes info from them about the TUFTEX Experience! We talk about why they dec...

In another episode curated by TUFTEX, I'm chatting with Tiffany of Confetti Castle about the thrill and challenges of being tasked with large installations for large events. We talk about getting the jobs, staffing them, troubleshooting, logistics and more. She also tells us about how she's planning the decor for the TUFTEX Experience and how YOU can be a part of it! More key points of our convers...

Kicking off this curated month by TUFTEX, I'm chatting once again with Allison, the owner of TUFTEX! She's giving us a ton of behind the scenes info on their new products, plus where and how they've expanded since she last came on the podcast. First, I asked her to walk us through their acquisition of a balloon factory in Canada. I really appreciated her honesty about the learning curve that was i...

This episode is a list of wins people had from tips in the podcast interviews! I'm so grateful to the guests who shared those tips & congrats to everyone who put them to use & saw growth because of it! Episodes are listed below and are easily searchable at thebrightballoon.com/episodes ! I also share what's in store for the podcast in 2025! In the UGlu Hotline, hear how one listener makes signs fo...

Since recording this episode, I've had the pleasure of hanging out with Tiffany at Balloon Boss Summit and seeing her LED Marquees in action. Wow, are they cool! Listen in as we chat about this very neat option you may consider adding to your inventory. Tiffany tells us how her marquees were designed to give a different vibe than the traditional incandescent marquees, as she looked to stand out in...

Edward is one of the kindest and most talented people I have ever met. In this episode he shares his inspiring story of bringing his balloon business to the U.S. from Venezuela, and all of the challenges he faced in the process. He's very generous with the techniques he shares on Instagram and I know everyone will have something to learn from listening to him. You'll hear about: His strategy for c...

Sue was one of the first people in the balloon industry that I learned from online when I started. In fact, I would bet that you've come across some of her content, too! I loved the chance to pick her brain on all the things she's experienced in the industry, plus learn about BAPIA, a membership she runs that is available in the UK, and that I wish was available in the US! Hear how participating i...

This episode is perhaps one of my favorite interviews of the year! I chat with Yanira of Perfectly Wrapped Balloons about how having systems and good record keeping for your company really helps in case of a sale or big transition. Yanira moved her business into a new area, several states away from her previous home and walks us through how she negotiated the sale of her client list and essentiall...

In this episode, Jenn takes us through the journey she's had in her business… from yard cards only to being convinced to take on balloon jobs for corporate clients to now handling her own team in a warehouse she still has room to grow into. She's done some huge things in the past year, including being on a reality show for entrepreneurs, hosting The Big Balloon Build and helping at the DNC balloon...

In this second curated episode by Let Nicole Help, we're hearing from Emily of 17hats who is in charge of all things Marketplace. If you're not familiar, it's a place where 17hats users can buy and try all sorts of templates for their account!  Emily tells us more about the kinds of templates available and how they can help both new and long-time users. We go on to talk more about the very specifi...

In this episode I'm chatting with my friend Nicole, who helps a lot of people with their 17hats CRM, but also with other aspects of the customer experience. I've said this before, but the more I do balloons the more I think that balloons are about 20% of the equation and the rest is how you run your business. So we chat about some ways to give your customers a good experience, like: How to become...