We recently connected with Vasti Varela and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Vasti , you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
Generosity: It is a characteristic I believe is given by God, but also a reflection of His Love and generosity toward us. Anyone who really knows me and my heart, knows that generosity is my foundation for success. Growing up, I witness the ” giving” nature of my parents and their willingness to go above and beyond to help others. Many time they were a shining light of hope for people in dim situations. We were not wealthy by any means but the abundance of God provisions were always shared with us. Today, I carry those same attributes in my business, we want to be generous with our clients in our time, our resources and our skills in an effort to serve them well.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
We are an Event Styling and Floral design business . Our personal love for creativity, art, and all things beautiful , have lead us to create a space where we can freely and artfully express ourself through event styling and floral design. Building relationships with our clients has been very important for us. A large portion of our business comes from referrals, as such, we want our clients to feel heard, included in our design process and served well . We understand the immense trust our clients give to us to create memorable event and we hope their experience with us is pleasantly remembered in exchange.
I believe our strategy to love our clients, being generous, show them kindness, and serve them well has kept us in business for nearly a decade. Of course! as many small businesses we have seen our share of struggles, disappointments, and defeats, but our ability to be consistent and keep going despite those bad days/moments have helped nourish a personal strength and growth that I believe can’t be taught but rather, experienced. It is in those day to day reminders to keep going and not give up that we succeed. My hope is always to inspire our peers to do the same, we need one another, for when one wins, we all win.
We hope that whether you are having a wedding of 400 guest , a kids birthday party or a small 12 person private event our desire is always to provide you the best service we possibly can, to create a beautiful moment and do it in humility and love.
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?
Reflecting back on the early day in my business, I wish I had known the power of networking. There are so many vendors and artist in our industry of event design that help in curating the most wonderful events. For years I was a ” do it all” kind of girl and quickly found myself burned out and overwhelmed. Now, as I practice network and using new talent and artful skills our events are much more unique and I am able to spend more time serving out clients better.
Another quality I believe has served me well is the power to persistence. Things won’t alway work out as planned and clients won’t always LOVE it all. There were and are many day when the criticism is so hard swallow but finding the strength to continue on despite the hard days, continue on despite the failures, continue on despite the rejection, it builds a level of determination that can only be learned through the experience.
Lastly, Take time to recharge and take care of yourself. If you are pressuring a career in the event industry you may have some understanding on how consuming it can be on your mental, emotional and physical health. Spending a little time to step back and regroup yourself will be so beneficial. A refreshed mind will the stepping stone to come back and continue giving your all to the events you create.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
The biggest challenge I face year after year, is getting through the “off season”. It’s those first 3 months of the year when events are really not happening and people are recovering from the holidays. As many of us in the industry try to navigate different ways to pay bills and keep our business doors open until the season picks up, we often need to find creative ways to stay afloat. I offer myself as freelancing florist, assisting local flower shops during their busy valentines day season. It’s a great way for me to continue practicing my skill as a florist, help small flower shops and generate a small income till wedding season hits again.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.creativedesignsnow.com
- Instagram: @creativedesignsnowevents
- Facebook: Creative Designs Now
Image Credits
Photography: Jenny Quicksall
