Meet Sonia Merchant

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

Hi Sonia , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
It took up until the last few years for me to really find my place and develop true confidence. I have struggled my whole life coming from a strong Indian background with higher expectations than most cultures. My biggest fear has always been what others are going to think and constantly over-thinking situations. After high school, I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. Being a doctor or in the medical field wasn’t in the books for me and what I enjoyed consisted of a very short list (fashion design, animals, make-up). I was surrounded by family members (and a genius brother) that knew exactly what they wanted and seemed to have life already figured out. This eventually became a constant anxiety of feeling left behind. I also knew that I had a purpose, and that I had to figure it out.

After a lot of research, I started my journey at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise majoring in Merchandise Marketing and Product Development. My passion for fashion soon turned into a passion for planning and coordination after multiple internships. I took a job working with an event production company in Orange County and got thrown into the fire. I learned more within that six years than I had ever obtained in my life. During that time, I was executing events with six-figure budgets and celebrity clients, while creating over-the top designs that I spent years only dreaming about. Every event was a learning experience, I always took something away to improve on. It was definitely the hardest I have ever worked and taught me the true meaning of blood, sweat, and tears. Even through the struggle, I knew that I had found my calling.

Fast Forward to the end of 2019, I wanted more and was finally ready to start my own venture. At 29, I finally moved out of my family home right before the pandemic, not knowing that the whole world was going to change. Almost all of my events in 2020 were cancelled or rescheduled (some twice or three times). Between the rescheduling process, the lack of income, and the unknown was extremely difficult to navigate. It was a very emotionally draining time for me. I kept being reminded that I had to remain optimistic and stay busy. I ended up drowning myself in projects and skills that I had been meaning to acquire and I started reading a lot. There was so much about being a business owner that I had not a clue about (taxes, payroll, insurance, marketing), it was all so foreign to me. I wanted to make sure that I was prepared for when things started to go back to normal. After what seemed like forever, things started to fall into place. In a sense, the pandemic was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It gave me time to learn about creating a business.

During the first year of being on my own, I would stay up at night worrying about money. I was no longer under my parent’s roof and I felt that I had lost that security and my safe place. That’s when it dawned on me that I would never succeed if I didn’t take risks. The fear that I had slowly turned into motivation. I realized that no matter how many times I failed (which had been a lot), I always came back with a stronger game plan. That’s what really pushed me and kept me going was that I had become so driven. Starting my company and finally creating something of my own made me wake up and look forward to each day. My friends and family have been my biggest support system. They have always cheered me on and reminded me that I can do anything.

Business is thriving and my team is finally growing. The sleepless nights, the early mornings, the highs and the lows are all contributing factors. Nothing comes easy. I still have a long way to go, and every day I set bigger goals for myself. Although, today I can confidently say that I feel like the best version of myself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Sonia Studios specializes in full-service event production and design consulting. When I started the company, it was my goal to stand out as a versatile brand. Creating events that meet the needs of various backgrounds and budgets are what we are known for. Multi-cultural weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, kids’ parties, non-profit galas, corporate events, and more are a few of the many produced throughout the year. When I worked for other planners, I always felt for clients that wanted to throw events but were intimidated with budgets and just the process in general. I make it a point to assure that clients are properly guided from start to finish. For them to understand that they must trust not only their planning team, but the planning process, is key.

This year, we are producing our first dog adoption event which will consist of three days and will be sponsored by some reputable and amazing organizations. I am especially excited about this event as animals have always held a special place in my heart. One of my goals as a company is to be more actively involved by placing them in loving homes and spread awareness about abuse and breeding laws. I am constantly doing research about the laws in different states and how they can improve. This is a world-wide issue that many are not aware of or educated enough about. I hope to make a difference in some way.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I am a firm believer that maintaining healthy habits lead to greater things. Create an environment where you are going to perform at your highest. Drink lots of water, take breaks, go on walks, get some sun. Small, simple, life habits played a big role for me. For example, every day I create a check-list not just work-wise, but in my home. This keeps me organized personally and professionally. This industry is filled with noise and chaos (which I love) although, I make sure that my home and work environment (my office is in my home) is very zen, organized, and quiet.

My second piece of advice would be to set boundaries professionally and personally. Stop saying yes to everything. I learned the hard way that not all business is good business and that it’s okay to say no. The power of saying no puts you in charge of your life, and it WILL change your life. No means you are protecting your priorities.

Lastly, never stop asking questions. I learn something new every day personally and professionally. I heavily rely on speaking to my vendors, my family, my friends, my accountant, on a daily basis. There is always room for improvement. Striving to do better comes with self-awareness, which is something that I will continue to improve on.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I’d say a big obstacle that I have been trying to tackle for a while is releasing control. I know that as a business owner, the only way to grow and evolve is to release some form of power and let others into your circle. This has always been a challenge for me. Not only is it hard to trust other people and their intentions, it’s harder to let mistakes happen. Growth comes with mistakes and that’s something that I have learned to process and accept over the last few months. Nothing and no one is perfect, including myself. I tend to get caught up in my work and not realize that I am attempting to control everything around me and it’s just not realistic. Taking advice and constructive criticism from people that I work with as well as family and friends has been a huge first step. Before, I would get defensive or shut down but lately it has been such a helpful tool for my life in general.

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Image Credits
Samantha Klose Ron Levy Mike Purdy Andrea Patricia

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