Meet Kathy Juarez | Event Decorator & Portrait Photographer

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

Hi Kathy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I found myself furloughed from my current job. I was concerned with being permanently laid off, so I decided to continue pursuing with my photography. I continued having second thoughts and doubts on beginning this journey. My thought process was always, “everyone is already doing it, why should I bother?” I found this was a very negative thought, and when I seeked the advise of my family and friends, I was convinced to start. Along with photography, I decided I wanted to venture out and try something new. I came across a couple videos on YouTube involving event planning. I was intrigued with balloon arches and garlands, and since I had a couple celebrations coming up, I made the decision to try it and do it myself. I am approaching my 1-year anniversary, and with the support and love I have received, I can say I made a great decision in venturing out and embarking in a new journey!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have worked in retail since I got out of high school, so I can say I have had my fair share of experience with customer service. My main priority is and will continue being the satisfaction of my clients. I strive to make sure every one of my orders is at its best, and will go out of my way to make sure I have met my customers expectations. When it comes to my photography, I like to make sure my clients are comfortable. I like to let them let loose and feel confident in themselves. After a shoot, I like to give them a rundown of what exactly is going to happen once we depart, so they can have an idea of what will be going on behind the scenes. I also like to provide “teasers” of their shoots, since I know they would be anxious to see what I have in the works for them. A recent obstacle I came across was an issue with one of my equipment’s. It was a windy day, and my backdrop frame fell over, broke and popped a couple balloons. I was quick to come up with a solution with the help of my dad, and returned to the event location as quickly as possible to save what was left and add to what was missing. This is only the beginning of my business journey, so I am ready to take on any obstacles and challenges life will throw at me. I know there is so much more to learn, and I am ready to acquire the knowledge.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My main inspiration was Lakiesha, owner of ‘Sharpe Designs by Lakiesha’. She was the one I first ran into on YouTube, and was automatically hooked. Lakiesha was very informative and motivating when it came to starting my balloon journey. Other YouTubers I believe deserve their credit for my knowledge are ‘Ask Me For a Balloon’ & Anastasia Onishchenko, all these ladies have been amazing mentors in a way for me. Lastly, my main supporters and motivators continue being my loved ones; family, friends, and significant other. I have to give my sister a lot of credit for sharing my page the day I made it official that I was going to begin working with balloons. This also goes out to all those who have shared my work/page on their socials, and referred people to me. It means a lot to me to hear and see people helping me get my work recognized. I am truly grateful with how far I have gotten, and look forward to continue learning and growing with the help of everyone who is sticking by my side. I will never be able to express my gratitude towards everyone, but I am blessed to have such amazing supporters.

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