Today we’d like to introduce you to Tay Ogundele-Ajibulu.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story has been a long time coming you could say! Growing up in a family with a hotel business in Nigeria and a catering business here in the States has honestly given me years of local event planning experience. I have basically been doing this for free for as long as I can remember! My aunt is also an event planner and baker; I used to help her out when I was younger as well. I have always had a passion for helping plan parties for fun.
In the past, I started planning the annual holiday party at my job and received a lot of recognition for turning around the reputation of the event. After years of friends encouraging me to go into the industry, here, we are! Being such a social person has allowed me to make great connections everywhere I go. As a graduate of Morgan State University, networking is like second nature, I have built relationships with vendors of all trades. This gives me the skills to make any event one worth remembering. I am a young, educated black woman and I plan to inspire others with my brand, it is something I am very proud of! Always remember, you can be fancy on a budget!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This has definitely been quite the journey. As any small business owner will tell you, it’s not easy to go into business for yourself. It’s a very self-motivated task! There are some days where you wonder if people even notice you and all that you are doing. There will be dry spells with no clients, and that can be very discouraging. You also find that the people who you think will support you may not. This is not something to get upset about as you will learn quickly, people you already know may not be your clients. In a services-based business, you need to be able to branch out! Also, when starting a new business, you are broke, you don’t have any money for the supplies you need. Going into business, you have to spend money to make money. You also have to learn to do things by yourself. In the beginning, you are your own marketing team, social media manager, and employee. I had to learn how to make my own website, business cards and create content for people to notice. All while working a full-time job and living a regular life… it’s a lot!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m definitely proud to say that I am self-made. I literally started this business with nothing but an idea and no knowledge of how to actually make it profitable! I took what I knew about what made a successful business and started from there. I made my own website, business cards, and marketing material myself. I went to my favorite resources, Google and what I call YouTube University, haha! We have so much information at our fingertips, there is an answer for how to do everything! I learned how to improve my methods of decor this way as well. When I look at the first balloon garland I made in comparison to my recent work, even I see the growth! I have learned a few lessons along the way, but I would have to say that how you market yourself is the biggest thing. Record everything! Take pictures as often as you can! The saying “pics or it didn’t happen” is true! You need people to see you. You and your product or service always need to be in their faces. Even if they don’t need you today when they do, hopefully, you come to mind! If you aren’t comfortable with social media, I would suggest you get acclimated, it’s not going anywhere!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Flexibility is very important! I always say that during an event, something will always go wrong whether big or small. So, it’s always good to have a backup plan in case the space that you are in may look different than you had planned for, or maybe a vendor doesn’t come through with what you needed. It’s good because you will be calm, which will definitely alleviate the stress of your client! Gotta think on your feet… fast!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tizzleyourfancyevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tizzleyourfancyevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tizzleyourfancyevents/
Image Credits
Wyman J Productions
