Meet Katie Waara of One Fat Dove in Dallas Fort-Worth

Katie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Throughout my childhood my family was very big into celebrations. Holiday gatherings were always over the top with beautiful decorations and holiday feasts. My family wasn’t wealthy by any means; in fact, a lot of cherished items were passed as family heirlooms. At a young age, my family taught me to enjoy the sweet, little things.

In 2016, I started my event planning career with corporate events. Traveling across the United States, I was able to work with Fortune 500 companies for national sales meetings, trade shows and televised events. After finishing an event, I quickly learned how rewarding it is to see an event come together and have the client be completely thrilled. Even though I was creating many memories in my professional career, I was traveling a lot. My husband and I recently were married knowing we were wanting to have a family of our own. When I decided to leave corporate events in early 2018, I felt there was something missing. A part of me knew it was the right decision to leave but I was at a cross roads with what I wanted to do with my career. For three months, I felt like I sent hundreds of job applications. With my degree in finance, I felt my job search was all over the place. I would get a few interviews, maybe some offers but nothing seemed right. There were many times I doubted my decision in leaving corporate events without having another job in place. My husband and I were newly married with a mortgage and only one income.

To be honest it was completely stressful, I felt like I was starting to run out of options. After having the worst day, I was crying so hard that I dropped to my knees and prayed. My prayer was, “I am done! I have tried it my way and it doesn’t seem to work. Please tell me what I should do. Please guide me in the path you want me to Lord.” In moments, I realized events was the answer. To start, I wanted to create a website and start writing blog posts. After creating my first post, it was CRAZY! I was getting amazing feedback from family, friends, loved ones and even few people I didn’t know. Having my own event company seemed to be more at reach. I started planning family gatherings, a graduation party and a gender reveal. With hard work on blog posts and social media, One Fat Dove grew way faster than I could have imagined.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The biggest struggle I have faced is being doubtful. There was an enormous pressure of resilience considering I have never been the person to simply go out of my comfort zone. I felt there was a path God wanted me to take and I was scared of the unknown. As time marches on, I feel there will always be a battle with myself and having a fear for failure. Lessons need to be learned to have the feeling for successes.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about One Fat Dove – what should we know?
One Fat Dove is an event planning company seeking to be intrinsic to all social gatherings. We range in events from weddings, showers, birthday parties and holiday gatherings. As OFD grows, we are very proud to be servicing clients and witnessing moments that will be cherished as the happiest of times. We build trust by learning our client’s personality traits and this shows in the details illustrated at each event.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
It has been a huge blessing to have an amazing support group. To my sweet husband Shawn, thank you for supporting me through this journey. Thank you for listening to my endless rants of self-doubt and giving me honest feedback. To my mother Heather, thank you for being my best friend and my business confidant. Through my entire life, you showed me joy can come from the smallest of things. To my father Stormy, thank you for teaching me the value of hard work. Thank you for showing me the importance of setting goals in every aspect of my life. My grandparents Gene and Gaynell Pendley, thank you for your self-expression in showing me how to be creative. To my muse, my great-grandmother Katie Mae, even though you are gone you are so dear to my heart. Thank you for showing me how to live my life through my faith and by grace.

My professional support is just as important. Thank you to my amazing vendors K.B. Photography, Kalyn Shae Photography, Creatve Wedding Films, Bright Eyed Blooms, Wabi Sabi Vintage Rentals, 5 Star Rentals, Simply Sarah Jane, One Love Texas, Blush Bar Beauty, Ruthi Hutson Cakes and many more. Thank you for your amazing collaborations to creating the most memorable events.

Last, thank you to God for continuing to show me what life has to offer. Thank you for creating a path with your light.