Meet Aria Broxton | Event Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aria Broxton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aria, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Funny thing is I never really wanted to start my own business. I was perfectly satisfied with the stability of Corporate America and didn’t think I had an entrepreneurial spirit when it came to growing a business of my own. On 2009, a friend approached me about planning events together since we were both doing little things for family and friends. After talking in more detail we agreed that we would do it as a creative outlet but if and when it started to feel like work, we could walk away. So. Table Twelve Events was formed and we vowed to let it organically grow into whatever it was going to be so that we each could nurture our creative passion, something neither of us as Senior-level professionals was getting at the time in our day jobs.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a technology consultant and project manager. Being organized, strategic and forward thinking are things that have always come naturally for me. I knew I wanted to work with computers as I grew up in the 80’s / 90’s when AOL and the World Wide Web were becoming a thing so I knew it was a way to do something really cool and make a lot of money. When I was in college I thought I wanted to be a Computer Science major but quickly realized I was more business-minded than I was mathematical or scientific. So I switched majors to Management Information Systems (‘MIS) in the College of Business and it was perfect! It married my interest in computers with my instinctive business savvy. I was a bit of an overachiever when it came to planning my future career and I somehow managed to begin working for a major Management Consulting firm my junior year and was working full time on various technology projects by my senior year. While most students were interviewing for their first post-collegiate job at graduation, I was coordinating an office transfer to Washington, DC to take over the world.

The biggest hurdle I have had to combat is always having to take my career in my own hands and not having a real influential Corporate mentor to guide me. I have asked for opportunities or created doorways to learn and get more exposure. Once I walked through them I was able to showcase my talent and abilities to senior leaders who took notice. Asking to be a part of Executive meetings I wouldn’t naturally be invited to in the early days of my career gave me insight into what it took to lead projects and manage clients. This eventually lead to me becoming a senior project manager, leading multi-million dollar technology projects with medium to large-sized commercial and government clients.

Some times it’s not who you know, but who knows you that can be the differentiator in your career. When you never settle for just doing a good job, but are always thinking one step ahead for your team & clients, looking around the corner for potential roadblocks that you can knock down for them, and then showing up consistently each and every time, I believe you build your brand and reputation as a reliable, strategic thought partner and executor.

I’m proud when I hear from clients and team members alike that they can’t wait to work with me again because I made their experience seamless due to my organizational and relationship management skills.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would eat our little hearts out! For breakfast & brunch Tiny’s No. 5 is always consistent. We would do lunch at Sushi on Post Oak, dinner at Musaafer and a night cap at Clarkwood. Houston has so many different cuisines to choose from it’s almost impossible to get to them all! I have a growing list on Yelp and Instagram that I am constantly updating to try to keep up!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shout out my mom! As a business consultant & project manager by trade I joke that I came out of the womb project managing life. My mom created an environment where I could explore everything single thing I was interested in as a kid – dance, competitive roller skating, musical instruments (I played 4!), Girl Scouts, and various sports. All the things! So through each of these activities I learned perseverance, leadership skills, organization and how to challenge myself to be the best and see things through. I have so many different instances where I remember planning events at an early age and they were pretty impressive for an elementary and middle schooler! One in particular was when I was President of a sports organization in middle school and planned an entire awards banquet by myself. I somehow rented a room at Ryan’s Steakhouse, ordered plaques & trophies, made centerpieces (mom still has one in a closet to this day!) and organized and facilitated the run of show. I clearly could not ride my bike to make all of this happen so I can only assume my mom agreed to help me run around and do whatever it is I needed to do. And it was professional little middle school banquet!

So thank you mom for driving me to all the places so I could try allllll the things and feed my budding creative spirit. Because of you I am. ❤️

Website: www.table12events.com

Instagram: Table12events

Facebook: Table12events

Image Credits
Mercie B Studios, DH Productions, S.O.A Digital Imaging, RM Photography by CJ Martin