Some People Want To Change The World, We Just Want To Change The Event Industry.
Dream Big.
Most days I see some sort of quote about dreaming big, and actually it sounds so cliche. I also think it sounds easy, it’s not hard to dream big right? I mean just let your mind wander into the possibilities of what can happen next.
I don’t want to just dream big. I want to do something about it, maybe all the quotes should actually say… get off your ass and do something about your dreams, because it already is tomorrow, your already 30 something years old, and life will pass you by if you let it. Stop just dreaming big, and put a process into place. Take steps forward, big ones, risky ones, because dreaming is one thing, but doing is this whole other.
Dreaming big always sounds cute. But damn, pursuing your dreams is heart-wrenching. Not as heart-wrenching as never doing anything about them, but it’s scary and so hard, and sometimes when it’s not going how you planned, your heart is so heavy it hearts. But do you know what that heavy heart represents? Growth, and I rarely enjoy the process.
A remarkable woman named Frida Kahlo (if you don’t know who that is, look her up, her story is inspiring!) said “not fragile like a flower, fragile like a bomb.” Man, did that resonate with me… because dreaming is pretty, your in this safe place thinking about what your future could look like. When I picture what dreaming looks like, its a pretty girl in a field of flowers with the wind softly blowing, and the look of absolute peace on her face. There’s no risk involved, it’s this pretty little flower in your mind with nothing but opportunity to flourish, and it is fragile, and everything in your body is telling you to protect it. Because if you let it out, what could happen?
Courage, bravery, and drive. Those are the emotions you muster up when you start doing something about that dream, and we could use the metaphor of watching that flower grow, but that’s literally laughable. There isn’t anything pretty about following your dreams. It can be inspiring, but it’s hard work with dirt up to your elbows, and it’s very rarely pretty. However, it’s still fragile. Like a bomb.
Doing something about your dreams is forceful and messy. You carry them carefully through the world, trying to protect them, while also telling everyone about it. You are literally waiting for two things, for this to explode into something so inspiring you can’t believe you ever hesitated, OR you are waiting for it to explode in your face. Dream following is a gamble, it’s not pretty, it’s hard. To follow a dream you have to be as brave as you are the day to decide to do something about it, for the rest of your life. So it’s ok that it’s fragile, it’s ok to protect the things most important to you. But ladies, and gentlemen, don’t be fragile as a flower, be fragile like a bomb.
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Launching a Business in a World Pandemic
I use the word brave a lot, because to follow your dreams I think its the number one quality you must hold. Yes, you can be smart, a “go-getter”, someone who preservers through the hard times. But EVERY. DAMN. DAY. You have to be brave.
I think COVID-19 tested my bravery, and before I go into the challenges of the event industry during this time, please know… my heart goes out to our essential workers every day. As gut-wrenching as it is to see wedding dreams go up in smoke, it’s nothing compared to the heartbreak our Doctors, Nurses and so many others have faced. Now that I have got that out there (totally necessary) I will try not to take any more hard lefts. Ha!
We are facing the potential of losing our business’, having to “layoff” the employees that have spent every 14 hour wedding day with us. We are telling brides who have dreamed of this moment since they were 5, “I’m so very sorry, for the common good of the world, I cannot host your event”. Our industry could be facing an economic crisis, and unfortunately, that is not a dramatic statement.
And here we are, launching a business that solely depends on the event industry not only surviving but thriving.
Damn. That’s brave.
Part of the brave checklist includes being innovative, and making the best hand out of the cards you were dealt. When we started developing VenQ in September 2019, there was nothing in me that saw this coming. I mean obviously right, none of us did, but you know that saying about lemons…
So this is what we are going to do. This is how this dream is still going to soar. These are the reasons we will never give up. Because no matter how crazy the world is. You have to be brave.
Here is the VenQ concept.
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Giving our vendor friends the most direct advertising in the industry so they don’t have to pay for an overpriced advertising platform. Right now, that is needed more than ever!
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Promoting community over competition. It’s always been on my heart, but talk about Venue’s needing to come together for a greater purpose… also needed now more than ever!
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A way for clients to virtually plan their wedding from the comfort of their own home, specifically based around your venue…. That also seems to be trending right now.
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Bridging any communication gap between the Venue, Vendor, and couple when things are changing daily. Yup! I can see how that is also useful…
Funny thing, that’s just a few… but dreams are funny if you believe enough in what you are creating. No matter lemons or curveballs. You will find a way to launch this, make it fly, because this you’ve poured your heart into something, and that deserves your bravery.