Meet Randall and Lekisha Fulwood

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

Randall and Lekisha, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?
Randall says, “I would say that my ability to communicate effectively first was instilled into me by mother and grandmother, who were both long-term teachers in my hometown of Sumter, South Carolina; they definitely were very serious about my education. Additionally, my entire family is heavily involved in community service; even though my personality is generally quieter by nature, they made sure that I knew how to speak up when necessary. My wife Lekisha is naturally a bit more gregarious and outgoing, and she loved reading and writing from a very young age. Our communication skills were honed even more in our earlier career choices, even more so than our formal education. I was formerly a First Responder, a job where it is imperative that communication between involved parties is clear and concise. My wife served over 20 years in the United States Air Force as a medic, which also required highly-effective communication skills. Now, as business owners, we are still learning every day how to enhance our communication skills, as the way we communicate now is drastically different than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Our clients mostly interact with us through social media, text messages, or emails, where we may not have the benefit of reading body language or facial expressions. We are very careful to ensure our tone and our message is properly conveyed when using these outlets.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
If you have been to any kind of wedding, party, corporate event, or other gathering recently, you may noticed a common theme. There is usually entertainment, photography, and places to sit down or gather. We aim to address those necessities in the event planning arena. Our company provides digital photography and videography in the way of our 360 Photo Booths and iPad Selfie Stations. Both products are the latest developments in the photo booth arena, with the former providing a short, professional-quality celebrity-style music video with slomo and other special effects, and the latter providing digital photo strips, as well as animated gifs and boomerangs. We additionally provide different options for tables, chairs, linens, and tents for a one-stop shopping experience. Recently, we have added some 3D backdrops and LED signs. Our most popular has been our Garden Wall; people also love our lighted Ivy Wall our various Flower Walls. They provide a perfect backdrop for any photo shoot, or even as a background for our aforementioned photo booths. Lekisha hand-makes these items, and we have plans to add more to our inventory soon.
Although we specialize in corporate events, every single event we service is as important to us as it to the client who is booking or hosting the event. We don’t take it lightly that people have entrusted us with their important memories.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
There are so many qualities and skills required to make your business successful! If we had to narrow it down to just three, they would be:

Perserverance: it can definitely be an uphill battle sometimes when you are embarking on your entrepreneurial journey. You can get discouraged if things aren’t happening as fast as you would like, and the inevitable ebbs and flows of business can sometimes be stressful. It’s important to keep your eyes on the prize and keep pushing.

Professionalism: It is extremely important to us to establish a reputation as professionals. That not only includes providing the highest level of customer service in terms of communication and execution of services, but also by ensuring our business is solid behind the scenes, in terms of insurance, business licenses, and our online and physical presentation.

Playing To Your Strengths: Lekisha states, “This is something that Randall and I really had to learn about ourselves and each other. We both bring two different sets of skills to the table, but both are needed to make things run smoothly. For example, Randall is far more tech savvy than I am, so he is the one that makes sure all of the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed in that arena. He does the lion’s share of the work behind-the-scenes with the software and equipment. I’m a bit more extroverted, so it makes more sense that I would interact directly with the customers from their first contact with us, all the way through to our first meeting in-person, throughout the execution of the event, and to following up after. Although we both have knowledge of all aspects of the business, we find things work better when we play to our strengths.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
We have had support from many sources, but that has been one particular person that has mentored us, encouraged us, and challenged us throughout this journey, and continues to do so. We are in several groups with other industry professionals, where we share ideas and learn from each other. Tiffini Spry, owner of Pose 360 Photo Booth out of Charlotte, NC, stood out to us as someone who was knowledgeable, professional, and just always so willing to help everyone else in these various forums; she also has impeccable work and work ethic! Tiffini’s “collaboration over competition” was very refreshing in an industry where things can sometimes be a little cutthroat. We began communicating and interacting with her directly; she offered us so much relevant advice on marketing, advancements in the software, how to pivot our business, and really help us navigate through some daunting ! When you want to be the best at something, you have to align yourself with someone who is the best at that very thing. One of the highest compliments we were ever paid is when someone mistook our work as hers, stating that they “recognized the quality”. We are now one of the most top-rated companies of our industry in our area, largely due to her guidance. We have had the pleasure of hosting several celebrities, including TV personality and author Dr. Ian Smith, WNBA player Alaina Coates, Emmy Award-winning journalist Judi Gatson, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenneth Whalum, reknowned artist and muralist Leo Rucker, Lady Gamecocks player Chloe Kitts, and the USC Gamecocks mascot Cocky! Of course, we accept every opportunity to pay it forward and help others as they navigate their way through this business.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photo Creds: 360 Photo Booths & Party Rentals

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