Meet Alison Meyer

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alison Meyer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alison, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?

Out of college I got an intership at a casino in the marketing department which turned into a job. I was young and loved the hustle and bustle of the day to day and didn’t mind the late hours and weekends. As I got into my mid 20’s, I was burned out by my schedule and just started to feel like I wanted a change of pace. I found a job that I had no idea what the title meant, Supplier Diversity Manager, but I knew I cared about creating and supporting diverse spaces and people, so I applied. Low and behold, I got hired and started working at a Native American owned company and my job was to propel MBE’s (minority business enterprises) forward in business! As time would have it, some things in the company started to change and I was starting to feel like it was going to come to an end. Sure enough it did. I was fired in October of 2019. This was such a shock and hard pill to swallow. I’m not a person who gets fired, I work hard, I’m reliable, I show up- I was shook to say the least. On my drive home, I gave myself 20 minutes to come to terms with this- cry, scream, feel shame, feel guilt, feel scared, whatever was going to come. After my 20 minutes was up, I started my planning.
All of that to say I started three businesses- two in the supply chain field and A’ La Carte Decor, the special events business! All of which are doing great to this day! It is something I am so proud of and truly pour my heart and soul into these opportunities that I created for myself. The supply chain businesses give me purpose by way of the supplier diversity aspect I care about and A’ La Carte Decor gives me my passion project. It’s all a labor of love, but at the end of the day, it is who I am and how I operate. I am truly grateful for being fired- or I wouldn’t have all of this.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

As a kid who wasn’t sure college was for her, I made it through 4 years and a bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University. Being so unsure, I chose my major my junior year right at the last minute possible. I went into event planning with a little marketing. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get there because I have been an organized planner my whole life, but we all have a journey I guess!
I went from doing marketing at a casino, to supplier diversity for a supply chain business, to owning 3 of my own businesses.
Two of my companies are in the supply chain industry and I started these with people I met along the way. They are national companies and truly fill my cup by challenging me as well as allowing me to work with MBE’s.
The third business is A’ La Carte Decor. ALCD is a decor rental service, however, we also offer custom invitation & signage, styling services, planning packages, and as of July of 2023, a storefront with a room rental option to host special events right in downtown Athens, PA! ALCD is my passion project. Being a part of someone’s special moments in their lives means so much to me and to think I get to do it all with my sister, Jess, and childhood friend, Danielle, is the cherry on top. We work with so many awesome vendors and have made solid friendships along the way. Check out our socials to see our projects and events we have worked on- it truly is incredible seeing all of it come to life!
Recently, I also took on the role of being the President of the Athens Business Association. Being a part of my community and supporting other small businesses is very important to me. I always say nothing changes if nothing changes, so why not be the change!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I would say the three most important qualities or skills to have, in my opinion, is don’t be afraid to be wrong or to be seen trying something new- you never know unless you try. 2nd would be good communication- you must be willing to ask for help, to advocate for yourself, and to be grateful for how you got where you are. Last, you need to have confidence- you MUST bet on yourself. You will always be your best investment, so take chances and believe in yourself!
For someone early in this journey, I would say to get involved with people doing what you want to be doing and at the level you want to be at. Grow a network and get some experience and if you can, find a mentor! Having someone in your corner for the hard conversations and decisions is huge.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My sister and I were lucky in the sense that our parents were very hard working, supportive of us, and smart with money. My mom was a nurse and I remember a time when we were kids and she was going through night school to get her masters degree. By the time she was retired she was a well decorated RN, MSN and highly respected in our community and by her students as she shifted into teaching and molding the minds of the next nursing classes.
My dad was all over the place- in a good way. He was a wealth of knowledge and he could do a little bit of everything. He worked on pools as a college kid while getting an AAS in landscape design, owned a bar with friends, then worked on the railroad, some trucking industry, and after all of that he owned a successful bar and grille.
I got my compassion, drive, and soft love from my mom and I got my “be your own boss”, life lessons, and ability to do a lot of things myself from my dad.
My father passed away in December of 2022, unexpectedly. My dad is the person who gave my sister and I some money to start up our business, and we had the intention of paying him back. He believed in us and our vision for A’ La Carte Decor and was so excited to see us bring this to life. After he passed, his fiscal responsibility and planning gave us an opportunity to purchase a building for ALCD, which was the next step in growing this business. Even after he is gone, I still feel his support and love every time I walk into the storefront.
My mom is our biggest cheerleader. She shares all of our posts, she helps with our animals when we have long days of events, and she helps us with our inventory as well.
All of that to say, there isn’t one thing my parents did. It was what was what happened over time- who they made me into and how they raised me and supported me that got me to where I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alacartedecor.com
• Instagram: @alacaredecor
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alacartedecorevents

Image Credits

Kayla French Photography, Kelsie Travis Photography