How did an “Activity Girl” suddenly turn into a Businesswoman?
A close friend used to call me an "Activity Girl".
My transition from an "Activity Girl" to a businesswoman still seems like it happened all of a sudden to those who know me, but that isn't the case at all! It is a blend of my hobbies and determination over the years that has made Kitty Party a successful corporate event venture. How did I suddenly become such a powerhouse?
According to Samuell Jackson, luck is the perfect meeting of preparation and opportunity. Stay motivated and be prepared for when opportunity knocks.
It turns out that even when I had not found my passion, there was always constant preparation happening in the background, the dots just took a bit to connect.
Experiences
I just needed to create a business model of all that I love, and I love my work
I got a chance to travel a bit. During my travels and stays in different countries, I could certainly experience different cultures and cuisines from very close.
Understanding and exploring cultural diversity is an important part of my corporate and virtual event planning, and my travel pursuits certainly contributed to this.
Hard work & Learning New Skills
When they say “practice makes perfect”, they are not lying! Practising and made me proficient in the skills I require for managing my business. Putting hard work into teaching myself how to host online events, and the technical nitty-gritty of using social media, Google Suite and Squarespace was certainly not easy, but it has been an incredible boost to my skill set.
Food Styling is a major part of our events
I also learnt food styling which was a novel experience for me, and whenever I go through the food photographs I am always amazed, but a lot of hard work went into those aesthetic clicks. There have been times when I couldn’t get a perfect shot for hours and there have been times when I don’t sleep at nights because I am working on exciting project, but in the end all this hard work and persistence bears really sweet fruits.
Communication and Event Management
Communication is the basis of all living beings
Businesses operate on a lot of effective well-written and spoken communication. Effective written and spoken communication is the pumping heart of my work, be it an offline in-person event or a virtual one.
Penning down emails to the people stated in topmost positions comes naturally to me. As a child, I would write letters to my grandfather and my cousins. I have always adored the art of writing letters. Since the day I learnt writing, I have never stopped.
I always enjoyed luxuriating in the fine art of communicating with people. I can get into small talk with anyone and everyone. I believe communication gets better as you practise it more. I get to talk at my work and lead the microphone as an event host, what a joy it brings to my soul.
Right Connections
Forming the right connections takes you a long way with your work
As Jim Rohn famously said, “We are the average of the people we spend most of our time with."
I have always been expanding my circle and befriending people who were high achievers. I would go to networking parties and connect with the smartest people. I made friends with designers, lawyers, engineers, teachers, artists, and entrepreneurs.
I always stayed aware of new software and product launches because my partner would introduce me to everything trendy.
Growing up in a business family
Working on my family business helped me pick up on a multitude of skills
I grew up in a business family. My father always encouraged me to take part in the family business and to handle responsibilities. I got a business attitude at an early age to crack deals and make big things happen. When I started my business he told me that business is all about not losing your persistence during the days you are low on work. This along with the practical skills I gained from him are a large part of my business.
Feedback for Event Planning
I am extremely receptive towards feedback and try my level best to take all feedback in a positive way. I ensure that my teams and family members feel comfortable enough to share all their opinions and feedback with me. Having this growth mindset has taken me a long way and it has taught me things I wouldn’t have learnt otherwise.
Academics
Books are truly our best friends
When most would listen, I would make an effort to understand deeply.
My academics further help me to become a part of the conversation when people are talking about the technical side of things. I am familiar with all the jargon of the business world and have always been able to understand what my clients are talking about because of my Master's in Business Administration. Whenever I host corporate events for big teams, I'm always aware of what they're conversing about, and am able to provide my insight.
Supportive Friends and Family
Having supportive friends keeps you in touch with your true potential
The support my friends and family have shown me has contributed a great deal to my success. I'm grateful to be surrounded by people who always see my potential. My family could see what I'm doing and my parents always provided me with that extra push by telling me that I wasn't utilising my skills enough, and that I always had the potential to achieve great things.
My partner has been the best support I could have asked for. He always kept me updated about new things I don't understand so easily, and interestingly, also helped me in making my first invoice!
He always involved me in his work. He has worked as a blogger and whenever he was writing, he always took my opinion on it, which helped me develop my skill set. My curiosity in his work ensured that I always knew how things work. His reassuring words are always there to boost my morale.
Blend of Hobbies and Work
I love speaking on the since forever
Happy is the man who gets paid for doing what they genuinely love and enjoy.
My work is composed of my collective hobbies, which is the best part of everything that I do. As a massive foodie, it's been easy for me to shortlist the best caterers in town which is a must for my event planning work. I hunt the best food for my corporate events.
I've always been into networking places and I love communicating with people, which is another important aspect of my work.
I also relish cooking a lot, another of my hobbies that reflect in my business. I'm also enthusiastic about healthy eating. I've blogged about it and am versed in the principles surrounding balanced eating. It aligns perfectly with what we do at Kitty Party. I'm able to incorporate healthy cooking in our virtual events, and select the healthiest options for the catering at our company events.
Dancing is also one essential thing that we do at work, and my love for dancing keeps me grooving the whole night without getting tired during our events.
Success doesn't come overnight, it builds over time. This is true for me too. I already had expertise over the things I do today, I just had to give it an organised setup to turn it into a business. My passion kept me driven to do this, and now I have turned my hobbies into an event hosting venture where I learn something new every day.