Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Grady-Wallace.
Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I became engaged on my Birthday in Oct 2013. As you know, most women in their mid-twenties already have our big day planned out in our heads. 🙂 So a few days later, my mom and I started hitting the ground running with venue hunting and wedding planning. A week later my husband went in for what was supposed to be a small procedure and was diagnosed with Stage 2 Lymphoma Cancer. Our life slowly changed right before our eyes. Wedding planning came to a halt. During my short time of planning, I fell in love. As I transitioned my life to focus on my husband being well, I was secretly planning our wedding, even though I wasn’t sure if it would happen. A few years later, I joined the travel industry. I received a client who asked if I could coordinate her travel arrangements as well as her destination wedding. I was super excited to take on this task.! I immediately began researching destination weddings. While researching, information for wedding/event planning caught my attention. I thought it would be perfect if I could launch a business displaying all my talents. I already had a mobile bartending company called Sassy Cocktails, I’d been a travel agent for almost 2 years. It just made sense. A Plus was then birthed. My slogan is #OneStopShop
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Becoming an Event Planner wasn’t an easy road for me. In the beginning, I did a lot of research and even took online classes. Once you’re done obtaining the knowledge- It’s like, what are the next steps to launch an actual business. What do you charge, how do you find clientele, or what should I call my business? Those are just a few of the many concerns I had. I reached out to a few Event Planners in the industry and offered to intern. I had one Event Planner tell me, just because I’m married doesn’t mean I’ll make a good planner. She proceeded to tell me that everyone tries to be one after they have a wedding. She wasn’t aware that I was married in my living room, I didn’t get a chance to have a ceremony and reception at the time. My love from planning was natural. I encountered a few people that weren’t willing to help. I had potential clients that would express wanting to see my work. My first year, was extremely difficult because of that. As an Event Planner, there isn’t always work to see per se. Some Event Planners decorate as well, so as a client they would look for pictures of events I decorated vs reviews from clients from the events I actually planned and coordinated. Those challenges molded me into the Planner I am today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am Ashley, owner of A Plus Events & Consulting. A+ was designed with the client in mind. I am very passionate about making sure people receive the quality in which they are spending their hard earned money. We bring fresh creative ideas to the table. No event or idea is too small for us to execute. My goal is to show people that through proper planning and saving, anyone can plan the wedding or event of their dreams. While weddings are my specialty, I also host, as well as help plan other events for our clients. Bring us the vision and we will execute. I also created a seminar called Event Planning 101 Seminar to help other event planners and business owners understand the industry. When I joined the industry, I had little to no help, so it is important to me to help those that are serious about this industry.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I love this question about risk taking! I believe if you do not take risk in life- you will always be afraid of true growth. I’ve learned my biggest life lessons from taking risk. If you would have asked me in my first few years of business, I’d be saying I like to play it safe or I don’t have the time and money to take risk. Whew, boy has my thought process changed. Our happiness, gratitude, and contribution come from our ability to grow and expand. We cannot live our most fulfilling life if we do not take risk. This is one way I measure being successful. Being able to take risk.
Contact Info:
- Email:Â ashley@apluseventsandconsulting.info
- Website:Â https://apluseventsandconsulting.info/
- Instagram:Â https://www.instagram.com/apluseventsandconsulting/?hl=en
- Facebook:Â https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=184105380
Image Credits
David G Studio
SnS Photography
