We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sequoia Gorham a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sequoia, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
For a long time, I honestly didn’t know what my purpose was. I knew I was creative and I actually went to FIDM in Los Angeles and earned a degree in Visual Communications. I originally wanted to be a wardrobe stylist. But after graduation I don’t know what happen lol and that spark & excitement slowly faded. I tried different jobs, eventually landing a role as an executive assistant at an entertainment & production company. It was cool, but not super fulfilling.
When I got married and became a mom, my husband and I agreed that I would stay home with our children. That turned into over 10 years as a full-time stay-at-home mom to our four beautiful kids. And while I wouldn’t trade those years for anything, once my youngest was getting ready to start school, I found myself asking, “Uhm now what? Lol Who am I outside of motherhood?”
My husband suggested I start working for my mom’s business and I did but something still kinda felt off. It wasn’t until the world shut down during COVID that I accidentally stumbled into my purpose.
With all four of my kids having birthdays during lockdown, I didn’t want what was happening to the world to flip theirs upside down anymore than it already did and steal their joy. So I did what I’ve always done best. I got creative. I went all out with themed balloon décor and homemade celebrations, transforming our home into whatever magical space they were dreaming of. I had never done balloon décor like that before, but I freakin loved it and so did they! I was super excited, inspired, and full of ideas I mean wheels spinning! I started creating birthday setups for my sister-in-law, my husband, and even asked my mom if I could do balloon décor for her corporate events once we came off lockdown just to get more practice. The more I did it, the more it felt like I was stepping into alignment with my true purpose.
That’s how Say Something Events was born not from a business plan, but from a genuine desire to bring joy, celebrate people, and turn meaningful moments into art.
God truly guided me to this path. I believe He gave me the creativity in my mind and hands to do this work. Every event I create is a reflection of that divine gift. It’s more than just balloon décor it’s storytelling, it’s love, it’s connection.
Now, what started as balloon garlands has grown into full event styling, including table settings, themed décor, weddings, baby showers, conferences, and more. And I’m just getting started.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Now listen if you would have told me a few years ago that I’d be running a full-blown balloon and event styling business, I probably would’ve laughed and said, “Me? No way.” But here I am, and I love it here.
Say Something Events started super organically for me. I had no idea balloon decorating would light me up like that, but it totally did. I started doing it for family, then my mom’s company, and before I knew it… boom a business was born.
Now I help people “say something” through custom balloon décor, backdrops, table styling, and all kinds of creative setups. Whether it’s a birthday, baby shower, conference, wedding, you name it, I’m here to help you celebrate in a way that feels fun, beautiful, and true to your vision.
What I love most is seeing people’s faces light up when they walk into the space. That moment when they feel seen, loved, and celebrated that’s literally everything to me.
So I’m so happy because lately I’ve been expanding into full event styling beyond balloons, and it’s been super exciting. I’ve also started a moms community called Say Something Moms, which has grown into a phenomenal support group for women who just need a safe space to be real.
It’s truly a no-judgment zone where we talk about motherhood, mental health, healing, faith, and everything in between. We laugh, we cry, we pray, and we uplift each other because being a mom is beautiful, but it’s also hard sometimes, and we all need a tribe.
We’ve even launched a podcast and will start hosting in-person events to build that sisterhood offline too. Watching it grow has been such a blessing, and I know this is only the beginning of something really powerful.
Basically, I’m just a creative girl who loves to go big and support the people she loves and now I get to do that for others, too.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Man this is a tough one because I watched my husband and mom build their business and I’ve seen so much but experiencing it for myself is wild lol. You really grow in so many ways when you’re building something from scratch. But looking back the things that I think made the biggest difference for me were creativity because it’s more than just being able to make something look good. It’s about thinking outside the box, problem-solving on the fly, and letting your personality shine through your work. Creativity is what helped me stand out and it’s still the heart of what I do. Next would probably be knowing It’s okay to learn as you go because you’re going to make mistakes because no one is perfect and life is a constant lesson! Some things might flop, and you’ll have to redo things a hundred times and that’s okay. There’s so much trial and error in the beginning. The key is to keep practicing, stay patient, and give yourself grace. You don’t have to be perfect on day one just be willing to grow.
Also you seriously have to set boundaries and protect your peace. This one took me a minute to learn, but it’s been a game-changer: it’s okay to say no. You can’t do everything, and if you try to, you’ll burn out fast. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to do all the things at once. Take your time, have fun with it, and remember when you’re stressed, the work and your craft suffers. When you’re in your joy, the results are just so much better.
If you’re just getting started, my best advice is this: stay consistent, stay teachable, and trust your process. You don’t have to have it all figured out just take the next step.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, I like to take a nap lol, like for real. Sometimes your mind and body just need a freakin’ break from being on autopilot and constantly go-go-go, do-do-do, and be this and that for everybody.
I mean… life is still gonna be there when you wake up, so baby, take that nap and rejuvenate yourself.
If you can, go get a massage or take a hot shower just detox a little. I love a good nap, some warm tea or coffee or a hot toddy lol and just pause. Shoot sometimes even a good cry, like, for real for real it’s a huge stress reliever. It’s unfortunate some of society sees crying as a weakness but it’s really a form of release and detoxing. Heck even scream it out if you need to! Journal, pray, talk to God, do something to detox from the world and do a little reset. Some type of self-care is so needed especially when you feel overwhelmed!
You’ll feel a little better, a little lighter, and more ready to karate chop the next mission lol.
And please don’t beat yourself up. Those tasks will get done. But if you don’t have a healthy, sound-minded you, you can’t even really show up fully for yourself or anyone else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saysomethingevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saysomethingevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saysomethingevents1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SaySomethingEvents
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@saysomethingevents
