We were lucky to catch up with Lindsay Parkin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lindsay , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Growing up, I was always overweight. More often than not, I was the heaviest kid in the classroom at times. At every family function, my family members would comment on my weight and ask what I was doing about it. It wasn’t fun to shop at Limited Too and the other fun, adolescents clothing stores that other kids did, because sometimes the Large still didn’t fit and that would make me uncomfortable. So I learned very early on, that I had to stand out beyond my physical appearance to be well liked.
This created the mindset for me of “I have to be the best”, and I took that with my in everything I did. I wanted to be the best student, best cheerleader, best friend, the life of the party, the one that everyone wanted to be around, and that people could be proud of. Regardless of what I looked like, because my motto was, “my weight will never hold me back”. While I have had some really rough times with that mindset (college was rough), I still always felt confident in who I was, but I was always lacking self-esteem.
It wasn’t until opening LEP Weddings & Events that I really felt a shift in my self-esteem. For the first time, I wasn’t trying to be the best at something to “fit in” anymore, or to be well liked. I opened my business because I was confident in what I can do. I wanted to create a brand, that fit me- Fun, Detail Oriented, Helpful and brutally Honest. A place where people feel like friends and family right off the bat without judgement. A service, that will help people on what should be, the happiest day of their life. And an experience, that includes lots of laughs, hugs and champagne!
Now in year three of LEP Weddings & Events– I have such a higher self-confidence and self-esteem than I ever have. I know that my clients choose me because of my brand. And I know that my team chooses to work alongside me because they know I have their best interest at heart and they trust me. Creating an environment that worked for me, rather than trying to fit-into someone else’s, is definitely the biggest contributor to the confidence & self esteem that I have today.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I went to college for Hospitality Management. After college, I got a job working for Hutchinson Island Marriott in the Front Office. When I was at my interview, they asked me what my goal was in 5 years. I responded by telling them I wanted to be doing the weddings at their property. Six Months after being hired as the Assistant Front Office Manager, the Wedding Sales Manager quit. Literally felt like fate.
I started to tear up when interviewing with the General Manager for that position, and it was purely because of how passionate I was about the job and how badly I wanted it. Once hired, I took the training course and became a Certified Marriott Wedding Planner! After years at the property, I decided I no longer wanted to sell the event space for the venue, but to help the clients find their perfect venue and plan the happiest day of their life!
After working for another Event Planning Company in the area, I had been exposed to so many different types of events at different venues all over Florida. And I finally had the training, knowledge and experience to do it on my own.
In March of 2020, I opened up LEP Weddings & Events and the rest is history!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would totally say that working for a venue gave me an unmeasurable amount of knowledge. I’d advise anyone interested in working in events, to start by working for a venue/hotel to see how the operation runs.
The qualities and skills that have been the most impactful, would have to be my outgoing personality. My Type A organization, and empathy. I truly care about my couples and their day!
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Janie Fraser. Hands down. Janie is the business & social media for LEP, but I often joke she is my life coach. Her calm demeanor, understanding and listening abilities, have literally helped me get through some of the hardest situations.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lepweddings.com
- Instagram: @lepweddings_events
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lepweddingsandevents
Image Credits
Captured Beauty Photography