Meet Dani Jack

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

Dani, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Two of the things I am most passionate about and involved in are creative outlets: music and balloon decor. In both cases, I take inspiration from the world around me, as well as from other people, companies, and artists.

When it comes to balloons, I follow a ton of other balloon companies around the world to see what they’re doing and what they’ve come up with. Sometimes it inspires me to do what they already did, but sometimes it sparks something new that I want to try. I love to take time to just walk through craft stores and look at what is available and think of ways I could incorporate what they have. I am part of a balloon network where we lean on each other for inspiration or instruction. I go to different conventions where I gain new knowledge firsthand. When a client comes to me, especially with a new theme or a blank page, I love to take a moment to think about what we could do that is different. Many times I’m running a search on Google or Instagram to see what has been done, and then I either try to stay away from that or combine a few to make something new.

With music, the songs I write come from my life or the lives I am witnessing around me. Like most songwriters, I keep a running list of ideas in my notes app so I can refer to them later. I love collaborating with other songwriters and musicians to make each song a unique experience. One of my favorite things to do while writing is imagine what a music video would look like if we were to make one. I wish I could make a music video for all of my songs!

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I moved to Nashville in 2016 to pursue a career in music, releasing my first single and later an EP Grace in 2018. Since then, I have released two singles and multiple music videos, went on an arena tour as the opening act for Cirque Musica, and played in some of the best clubs and venues in Nashville.

After the shutdown in 2020 put me out of work musically, I started to think about other options. One thing that has always stuck with me is the family business: parties. For over 35 years, my grandparents owned a prominent party store in my hometown of Reno, Nevada, and every family member worked there at some point. It was actually my first job as a child! For years, I have watched the women in my family excel at creating unique events and silk floral designs. I never really felt like I was especially good at florals.

I started seeing this balloon garland trend and was amazed at the artistry within balloon decor. Once I tried it for myself, I was hooked and decided this was the next move for me. I did a mentorship with a good friend of mine who owns the number one balloon company in Charlotte, NC, and have since thrown myself into making this business successful. I have been shocked at how well it’s done and how quickly.

Now that Party Up Balloon Co is feeling solid, I am leaning back into music with more performances, songwriting, and, hopefully soon, releases. I am still trying to find the perfect balance!

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?

There are so many, but I think just being open-minded is a big one! I think that can apply to so many areas of life. Being open to possibility, to meeting new people, to other people’s opinions, to the potential that I may be wrong or that there is a better way. I never thought I would’ve had a balloon business, but here I am, a full-time balloon decorator, paying bills by creating balloon installations. I also fully believe that every person I meet has the potential to teach us something if we let them. I have allowed my mind to change quite a bit throughout my short life as new information has been presented to me, and that has been really powerful.

I think knowledge about what is going on in the world is really important. Maybe you don’t know everything or maybe you don’t know the cause or maybe you’re not sure how to interpret it all, but at some point in the day, taking 15 minutes to look at current events will really help you move through the world. Hopefully you can find as close to an unbiased source as possible, but if not, looking at two news sources that lean opposite ways is a good way to form your own opinion.

And lastly, empathy. Being able to really see yourself in someone’s shoes will absolutely help you be kind and understanding. I think many songwriters and creatives have empathy, which is how they are able to create something that resonates with others and makes them feel something. I don’t know if this is something that some of us are born with or if it’s something that we learn as we have life experience, to be honest. Maybe the best advice to help develop that would be to listen when someone tells you their experience or their feelings. Listen to hear them and not just react.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

My biggest challenge right now is focusing on two paths and combining them into one: running Party Up Balloon Co and still feeding my soul by performing and releasing music. Recording and releasing music is expensive. For a couple years following 2020, I had lost motivation in that area. I was on a path and it really knocked me down and I didn’t feel like I could get back up. Four years later, I am feeling more and more motivated to get back up. It will look different, so right now, I am trying to figure out what it looks like and HOW to do it. I am having conversations with old cowriters and friends who have been releasing music, putting together a plan of action to make it all happen. I have full confidence that there is a way to do this, and right now, I am still in the planning stages.

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Image Credits

Chad Crawford

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