The Bright Balloon

It seems like it happens every year, right? Some of the goals you've set for yourself at the beginning of the year kind of fade away, either because you've forgotten about them or because you've lost interest in pursuing them. Well I'm here to say that it's OK to reevaluate your goals and shift them as needed! In this episode, I'm reviewing the 2023 goals I set for myself and sharing how they're g...

I've always lived in organized chaos - are you the same?! But what I'm beginning to notice is that the organized parts of my life (like my actual balloon storage) are making the less organized parts of my life really stand out... and sometimes in a painful way. I've decided I need to find a more consistent and systematic decluttering process, not only for the physical, but for the mental and digit...

In this episode I'm chatting with Steven Jones, the Executive Director of FLOAT, a convention that is very near and dear to my heart. That's why I'm so excited to announce a FLOAT registration giveaway!! Listen in to hear all of the details... the winner will be announced June 19! ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!   If you're not familiar with this convention, this interview is going to be a great introduc...

Today I'm discussoing how to book big jobs, and more importantly, now to re-book them for reliable, consistant money! Register for my in-person "Impressive Installations" class here How to find large jobs How to charge and consider additional expenses How to pitch and what my proposals look like How to secure annual bookings and the importance of following up   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Pricing Guide M...

Here's another bonus episode of what we've been learning and chatting about over in the Bright Balloon Book Club! Join here! Last month, we read The Passion Economy  by Adam Davidson. 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

In this episode we're checking in with three previous guests, plus I'll give an update on how things are going since quitting my full-time job nearly two months ago... some of which are great and some that I didn't really anticipate... First up is Tinesha, who may not have realized what an impact she had on me in our first interview. She said, "everything you want is on the other side of fear" and...

Today I want to share with you two concepts I learned from Denise Duffield-Thomas in her book Chill and Prosper , and they address how we can get past convincing ourselves that we aren't ready for the next step.   First is procrastibranding, where we tell ourselves that we can't: buy business cards because we don't have a website yet; or advertise for the next season because we haven't decided on...

In this episode I'm sharing all the details about what it was like to host The Big Balloon Build in my hometown. If you're not familiar, it's an organization started by Stuart Davies who used to do these builds in his own community in Wales. I was actually only the third person in the United States to host one since it's become an international event!    It's just like it sounds, a big (let's be h...

Rachel of How About Balloons comes on the show in this episode to talk about cold pitch emails (and interestingly enough, it was a cold pitch email that got this interview scheduled!). The timing of this conversation couldn't be better for me as I dive into full-time balloons and want to take more of an offensive approach rather than waiting to see who contacts me. Rachel and her mom Lisa have had...

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 Company of One by Paul Jarvis. 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

In this episode I'm sharing a list of things I constantly use and wholeheartedly recommend. Several of them were recommended to me by some friends at Balloon Boss Summit and have been enormously helpful in my balloon business!     First up, a paraffin wax hand spa and an anti-fatigue mat . I ordered these immediately upon recommendation from Diana, and they might not be in the need-to-have categor...

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...