Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Stephan.
Lauren, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always had a passion for events & hospitality. Even as a young girl I remember producing Christmas plays for my family. I was very serious about the choreography, the programs that our ‘attendees’ would receive and the experience that was created from all the hard work and preparation for the play. All year I would look forward to this great Easter event we hosted at my grandparents’ house. We had all the best themed food and games. I loved how excited everyone would be when they arrived and saw the yard all decorated and the treats all displayed on the table. Those experiences were magical to me, and thankfully I found a way to bring that passion to life in my career.
I studied Hospitality Management & Tourism in college at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. At that point I wasn’t sure that event planning was the route I would take but I certainly knew that I loved hospitality and providing a service for others to enjoy. It wasn’t long after working at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company in Phoenix, AZ that I found myself in the events industry. And from there, there was no turning back. I knew that event production was my calling and my skill that God had blessed me with. And I also knew that without a doubt I wanted to own and operate my own production company where I could create unique and memorable experiences for people to enjoy.
Great, 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?
It has certainly not been a smooth road. There have been a lot of hours, blood, sweat and definitely tears to get me to where I am today. The desire to be an entrepreneur but the realities of finances and job security really kept me on an imaginary leash. I had a plan for SBG Hospitality for years and told everyone about my grand plans for my event production company. I started planning festivals and events ‘on the side’ of my regular 9-5 in 2013 but I was afraid to take that big step to quit my full-time job. It really started to affect my overall happiness because I knew what I wanted to be doing but at the same time I was holding myself back.
With the support and cheerleading from my husband I was able to create a one-year plan for my grand exit. That time let me mentally prepare to leave a job I loved for 7+ years and to financially prepare to lose my dependable ‘corporate’ paycheck. If I could do it over again I would have left sooner, been braver and more confident. But then again- the experiences I had and the lessons I learned are why I’m more assertive, confident and driven today.
Please tell us about SBG Hospitality.
SBG Hospitality is an event production and marketing company. Our strengths are driving traffic to venues that want more exposure, creating effective partnerships with local businesses, and of course creating memorable experiences.
Most of our events are festivals but we also produce wine dinners, 5k runs and retreats. This year we have events in DFW, Austin, and 30A/Panama City Beach, FL.
Our clients appreciate our services because its turn key. We will plan the marketing event to drive traffic to your venue, and we’ll do all the marketing and PR to make sure those people show up for the event.
To date SBG Hospitality is mostly known for our culinary events. Last year we hosted a first-year wine event in McKinney, TX that had over 21,000 followers on Facebook! 3,300+ attended the event and it has quickly become one of the most beloved and buzzworthy events in McKinney.
We have some really cool festivals coming up this year. The Plano Food & Wine Festival at Willow Bend and the Yellow Wood Music & Outdoors Festival are two new events that I’m most excited about!
Our events are free and open to the public. We want everyone to have the opportunity to experience the fun that we’ve created. Last year I overheard a group of people talking at the McKinney wine event. They were talking about how much they loved the festival and how the organizers of the festival also hosted the brunch event they attended the month before. I eased dropped long enough to hear the group collectively say how impressed they were with the events and how excited and lucky they were to have these types of festivals in McKinney, Texas. That was definitely a proud moment for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sbghospitality.com
- Phone: 318.527.9221
- Email: hello@sbghospitality.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbghospitality/?hl=en
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Image Credit:
JPC Photography
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