Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathy Nugent.
Cathy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a certified wedding planner turned blogger and designer of spaces to gather. While I’m Dallas raised (Frisco, more specifically!) and will always be Texan at heart, I recently relocated to a small(ish) town outside of Atlanta, Georgia. I am a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Marketing, a certification in Advertising, and a certification in wedding planning from The Bridal Society. However, most people know me as the Monica Geller of my friend group – a coffee connoisseur and dog mom with an eye for design and a huge heart for hosting that have been beating since I was a little girl. I’m a sucker for pretty place settings, southern charm, and the little details that speak from the heart and make all the difference.
I think it’s safe to say that this journey of mine really began while I was in college attending Texas A&M University. During my last couple years in the business school, I had a sass-infused wedding blog in my downtime as a teaching assistant for an upper-level advertising course. As myself and friends were starting to get engaged, I was tired of people seeing planning their wedding as a prescription for stress. I knew I wanted to help, and with that, I started having a dream of helping brides plan their special day with intention — all while bringing authenticity back to the wedding planning process.
Soon enough, my blog took off. Somehow, even my students had found it! As time went on it grew into spending my office hours, in between grading and other work, helping friends plan their weddings for fun while I planned my own. It wasn’t until the professor I worked under told me that I needed to pursue this dream of mine that I realized that I could leave advertising and make my side hustle a career. Cathy Nugent Weddings was born, and with every day that passed, my passion swiftly grew into helping couples design and create a space for them to gather with their friends and family to celebrate one of life’s most precious days.
However, with my love for hosting, design and styling spaces, I think my heart always knew that it didn’t want to be limited to only weddings. So after years of planning beautiful weddings under Cathy Nugent Weddings, being featured in numerous online and print publications, and being awarded Wedding Planner of the Year for 2017 by The Bridal Society, I knew God was tugging at my heart to make this heart for hosting into something more. This winter, I launched my new brand, A Hosting Home Collective, with my husband to help others design their spaces with intention – whether it be their wedding day, parties, or their homes.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think with any business, there are always ups and downs that come with it. I don’t think it’s possible to build a business without struggles. If it were, I think more people would be chasing their dreams. It’s a definite leap of faith with each and every step that you take. It’s all about trusting God to guide your path. I constantly seek Him through prayer to guide me with every step we take in life and our business, and I’ve honestly been blessed more than I could have ever imagined. I have met so many amazing people over this journey of mine, and I’m so thankful for such a great community of like-minded creative entrepreneurs from across the country that I’ve gotten plugged into. Whatever God has planned, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with A Hosting Home – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
When A Hosting Home came to be, I wanted to combine my love for styling spaces and hosting with heart with my husband’s passion for creating and woodworking to help others design their own space with intention – whether that be your dream wedding day, a party, or even something as simple as hosting loved ones and friends in your home. We strive every day to make A Hosting Home the ultimate source for styling and inspiration with our specialization in designing and styling spaces, handcrafted furniture and decor, and wedding ceremony and event backdrops.
The heart behind what I do with A Hosting Home is simple. My passion is essential to help others be intentional about creating a space to gather and celebrate all of life’s most precious moments. It’s my job to think of the little details so they don’t have to, and it’s about helping people make those memories that last a lifetime by helping them sit back, enjoy the season of life that they’re in, and celebrate the little moments along the way.
I think what I’m known for and what makes me stand out is the level of detail and personalized service that I give my clients. I want each and every person that sits in front of me to feel like they are my favorite client in the world and that they’re my top priority at all times. I also want them to feel as if I am just as excited about their vision while I strive to give each and every client something to be inspired by that is as unique as they are.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
When it comes to networking, it’s all about building long-lasting relationships with others in your industry — and Spoiler Alert: it’s not all about your sales pitch. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when it comes to trying to build relationships is that they go straight into pitching themselves to the other person without so much of an introduction. Not only is this distasteful, but it makes people feel like they’re just a stop on your rounds. There’s a real person behind that brand who works as hard as you do. Most importantly, that person wants to feel heard, respected, and appreciated.
If you want to be successful at networking, it starts with changing your mindset on networking in general. You have to erase the ‘You’ mindset. Don’t go into networking thinking about what you could gain from a relationship with a specific person. Instead, go out of your way to see how you could work together to help them. By showing them that you want to work together to make their role easier or to service their needs, you’re going to stand out from the crowd before you even give your elevator pitch.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ahostinghome.com
- Email: hello@ahostinghome.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecathynugent & www.instagram.com/ahostinghome
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cathynugentweddings & www.facebook.com/ahostinghome
Image Credit:
Linda Threadgill Photography, Noble Sparrow Photography, Shannon Ford Photography, Kesia Marie Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
