Blue Punch Bugs with Precious Jubilee Decor

While sipping Blue Punch Bugs, I chat with Adrieane Jackson, the owner and creative genius behind Precious Jubilee Decor. Based in Delaware, Adrieane is a master balloon artist known for her stunning Instagram-worthy displays. In this episode, we delve into the vital role of networking, the juggling act of being a business owner and a mother, and her experience creating balloon displays for JLo's "It's My Party Tour!"

Go follow Precious Jubilee Decor at @precioujubileedecor and visit her site at www.preciousjubileedecor.com

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Instagram @champagnestars1 and check out our site at www.champagneandstarsdecor.com

Transcript

[MUSIC]
Hey, I'm Anne, owner of Champagne and Stars Event Decor.
Welcome to And I Like Large Parties.
Join me as I chat with amazing women business owners in the events industry,
some that I've worked with, and some that I can't wait to work with.
We'll be sipping cocktails while discussing their passions, hurdles and accomplishments.
You're gonna love it.
Thanks for listening.
[MUSIC]
So welcome everyone.
I'm here talking today with Adrienne Jackson.
Hi everyone.
I'm so glad to have her on the show.
She is a balloon artist out of Delaware, although I know looking at your social media,
you travel all over.
What do you do?
Before we get started, I'd like to let my guests know that at the end of the interview,
I'm going to ask you if you had to come up with the name of a mocktail,
which by the way, that's what we're having today.
We're having a blue punch bug mocktails.
So if you had to come up with the name of a mocktail that you thought embodied the vibe, or the tone of you, or your business, what would that be?
So we'll revisit that at the end of the interview.
So I'm going to start by just having you tell me a little bit about yourself and about your business.
I am a mother of two wonderful boys, my son, LB, and L.A. 23 and 11 years old.
I am a balloon artist and I absolutely love what I do.
Previously, I was in the corporate world.
I was a security processing analyst for multiple banks.
And at this point, I am in love with what I do every morning.
And in the balloon world and the entertainment world, it is just amazing because I get to meet so many wonderful people and I get to travel.
And when I get to the venue, a lot of people are happy.
So it's like one of the best jobs in the world.
Just being a balloon artist, I get to be creative.
I get to use my artistic side as well as my business side because in my banking world,
I had to read credit agreements, I had to do numbers, it was quarterly.
So everything that I, and even customer service, interacting with the CFOs, the CEOs, anybody that I had to interact with, managers, other processing analyst traders, just that interaction and providing great customer service has just transformed over to now my business world.
Yeah.
And also staying educated.
I've always been one to just take courses and classes and get certifications.
I always utilized my time while I was at the bank.
So a lot of those companies, they give you access to free classes and they also pay for your education.
So I was always one to keep getting classes, keep going to school.
So that also has transformed into my world.
I enjoy learning from multiple balloon artists from around the world, even YouTube.
I go to YouTube University all the time.
But I have, I really appreciate the world that I'm in right now.
That's wonderful.
So how long have you been doing this?
It sounds like you're doing this full time.
I am.
And so how long have you, how long has precious Jubilee décor?
How long has that been a business?
So precious Jubilee has, I want to say the name has almost existed for almost 10 years.
In this particular driveway of my home, me and my girlfriend came up with this business
name.
I never did anything with it.
We were talking about her daughter and what we could do for her in a birthday party.
So I immediately just signed up for precious Jubilee décor at gmail.com.
And it was existing for many years.
But what actually happened was me being a single mom and just wanting to provide an additional income for my household.
And when I say single, like I'm handling the mortgage, the electric bill, car payments,
there was no help.
That's a lot.
Yeah, it was.
So just trying to figure out how can I even work in the corporate world because you know, working in the corporate world.
It's a decent salary, but sometimes it doesn't cover everything, especially if you want to
go on trips.
If you want a decent car, if you want, if there's a car repair, so you know, just providing
an additional income, I had to figure out something, which end up being stuffed balloons.
So five years ago, I end up really saying, you know what, I'm going to do balloon décor.
And that's where the, well, it's more to that story, but that's really when it started
five years ago as far as precious Jubilee.
Okay.
You mentioned previously traveling that you travel.
How far is the farthest that you've traveled for a job?
I was hired by a wonderful lady.
We actually did her balloon décor here in Delaware for her daughter, sweet 16.
Okay.
But she moved to Arizona.
She celebrated her 50th birthday and she paid for my flight, the hotel and traveled for me to do balloon décor.
Wow, that's fantastic.
And Phoenix, Arizona.
She rented out a space in a casino in the MGM studio.
Okay.
And she had parties.
I want to say it was like four or five parties for that weekend.
So for every event, we had balloon décor set up for her.
It was amazing.
She had balloons in her room when she arrived.
She had a welcoming party for her guests.
We had balloons there.
She had a pool party.
We had balloon décor there and she had her lunch party like a mid-month or brunch.
We had balloon décor there and then she had her finale.
We did balloon décor there.
Okay.
So it was a whole weekend of doing balloon décor back to back to back.
And it was really amazing because I was able to visit the Grand Canyon.
So we got there on a Monday or Tuesday, Wednesday, I took that day to drive to the Grand Canyon and then Thursday was like, I had to work.
It was just, but it was still a mini vacation.
And just being hired and being able to do that, that was really amazing.
Yeah, that's wonderful.
So would you say that most of the jobs that you're doing are in Delaware?
Well, Delaware, Maryland, PA.
Okay.
Definitely.
And in New Jersey, I've done New Jersey as well.
So I do not discriminate as far as locations.
And I appreciate working with a band planers, even I've had band planers, you know, have worked with me in Delaware.
And then they're also going elsewhere.
So various locations.
So I'll work with them for sure.
Yeah, I can't remember whether or not I was following you on Instagram first or after,
but I, it was a party queen event, Kathy, and she rented a couple of things for me.
It was for a shower.
And after I saw the photos and the video, I saw the balloon set up and yeah, it was you
came and you did the balloon.
So I think that was one of the first times that we worked together.
And then there were a couple other subsequent times, but I follow your journey on Instagram.
And I mean, the work that you do, it is so, it's just wow.
Can you tell us how did you learn how to do these amazing balloons?
I mean, they're like custom buildings, you know, how did you learn how to do that?
I really, like I said, I appreciate education.
I started off as an apprentice to an award winning balloon artist in PA.
So that's why I said I don't mind traveling.
And for her, she said I was far enough to not be, to not be her competition.
But I was close enough if I wanted to drive, that I could, you know, drive and help.
So what actually happened was when I went back to the stuff balloons and that's how I got started, I walked in her shop and I got goose bumps.
I was like, oh, this is what I need to be doing.
So I just was sitting there talking to her about other things.
And then I just stood there.
I was like, man, you know, I don't know if you allow this.
If you will even let me do this, I said, but if you need any help, you don't even have
to pay me.
I was like, I'll just be there for you anytime you need me.
And you know, it was like a month and then she started calling me.
She was like, okay, we got a big job.
Okay.
If you want to come up, you're welcome to.
And when I say big clients, she had high name clients.
She was a very established, a balloon artist.
So I really appreciate that in that time of doing balloons for free.
Yeah.
There was just a moment of me just allowing her to teach me.
And she did not only do like, okay, you twist this balloon or you do this.
She was like, and so here's your numbers.
You got to do this quarterly.
Here's your paperwork.
This is how you gain clients.
So it was like, it wasn't just, this is how you do balloons.
Sure.
This is how you run a business.
Right.
Yeah.
Not just technique, but the business side of it as well.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
It really was.
And I will say that's probably where a lot of my skill came from.
Okay.
Was just learning.
And what happened was she bought a ticket to a class in Florida, which I saw the class
as far as being a balloon artist.
You know, you get to understand the balloon world.
And I was like, man, that's a lot of money.
But she allowed me to buy her ticket from her, but make payments.
So I just, you know, not a lot of people will let you do that.
And I was like, well, I don't have like two grand in this.
She was like, well, you didn't do $100 or something.
And that's exactly, and I paid her off.
It was like, I don't want to mess up this relationship.
You know, when you have something and someone entrusting you, you just don't want to mess that up.
So I paid her off and I went to the balloon class.
Now I will say that's really where I understood business.
It was probably a room full of like 50 or 60 balloon artists.
There was a range from people who've been in business for 20, 30 years.
Or some people who've been in business for six months.
I remember I met this young lady and I was sitting next to her and she was like, yeah,
I made $15,000 last month.
I was like, you did what?
He did $15,000 last month.
And I'm like, who is making this money?
And I didn't know was like that.
I just knew I was, okay, let me just see.
And this is still before I was even getting paid for it.
I wasn't, I was still working for the bank.
So I was just learning at this point.
But they taught us a lot of techniques.
We learned draping, we learned balloon, like just how to build things there.
So as I mentioned before, I'm 100% about education.
I will invest in my education.
So I received a certificate for going there was a week.
I had to pay for my travel, I had to pay for my hotel room.
And I was just being around these people who have the knowledge.
And our willing to share was really, really great.
Yeah, well worth it.
Very much so.
Very much so.
And you have to be willing to learn.
Yeah, for sure.
So you mentioned that this mentor that you had, she did a lot of big name clients.
Oh my goodness.
So I see that you do a lot of corporate events.
Could you speak to some of those?
And you know what?
And I say, I appreciate the fact that I was able to build a portfolio.
And that was one of the things she did say.
She was like, you can take these pictures at these jobs that we're doing and you just post
them.
She was like, that's how you build up.
So even that, I'll say, I paid for that.
So it was almost a priceless experience.
And me working with her with a lot of high end clients really just allowed me to transition into working with corporate clients.
And also like I said, my banking history.
So having contracts in order, having my LLC, having my business insurance, having all that in place really makes you look like a business.
That's right.
That's right.
So having working with a lot of corporations, replying, she always made sure.
And even just for me, I was always the person to get back to people quickly.
I'm sure that I don't delay on a lot of communication.
So that's really one way how you do learn a lot of corporate clients.
And also just, I think a lot of people who are having birthday parties, who are, they
work at corporations.
So if they, if they may have seen, you know, me do something really awesome as a sweet
16, then why can it not transition?
And it just makes selling to a corporation a lot easier, you know, a lot of these, especially
during COVID and they were welcoming back their people.
It's how do you welcome them back?
Mostly balloons.
How do you do a grand opening balloons?
So it's a party.
And just seeing that we can deliver, we're in a timely, they look great.
It just builds up your clientele.
That's one of the things I feel like we've been blessed with.
We do have some awesome upcoming events with other corporations.
And it's funny you mentioned that because I was like, I have noticed that as well, that
a lot of our clients now are corporate clients.
And I will say being a member of the business chamber has also allowed me to meet a lot of corporate clients as well.
That's great.
Yeah.
We've done a couple of flyers events.
And when you get that first contact where someone from a corporation is interested in your work, it's a moment.
And it's a moment.
Yeah.
It's definitely something that I wasn't expecting when I got into this business that I'm
enjoying.
And you're so right.
You do a good job at one corporate event, word of mouth travels.
So that word of mouth is really important.
And the corporate clients, it's nice.
Weddings and showers.
There is something, you know, I don't know.
You just feel like you've arrived when you're doing those kinds of jobs.
So I know that I've seen you do some really beautiful balloon garlands and just beautiful
work for some of your corporate clients.
And I'm just blown away when I look at your work.
Thank you so much.
I will say, and again, education, I was taking the class at the YWCA.
And it was entrepreneurship class.
One of my first corporate clients was recommended by my teacher there.
And it was for lift.
Okay.
Lift was doing a hiring event at the Route 9 library, up north.
And that was my first first corporate client of myself, like me being precious Jubilee,
and they wanted to hire me, not under somebody else.
They hired me.
That was really great.
Yeah.
What was it?
Yeah.
And then to be recommended by your teacher, like, you know, she could have just found somebody for them as well.
But she also noticed that we had that skill that we were able to accomplish that goal for
her and put her name behind it.
That's fantastic.
Yeah.
So you mentioned the business chamber.
Can you talk to us about that a little bit?
Sure.
I joined the business chamber in December.
We were nominated and they just had their awards ceremony.
I want to say it was like April or May.
We were nominated for three awards.
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
We're doing for a new business at King County and I want to say it was one of known business.
Now, we'll say we were nominated, but we did not win.
But the nomination is...
That's everything.
It was everything because it's peer-nominated.
That's right.
So that means other people in that chamber saw something in us that allowed us to be nominated.
And I mean, that was love.
It was really great.
And there's a lot of people in the chamber.
If you look at...
The Delaware Small Business Chamber has a wonderful, wonderful...
I guess you say phone book or portfolio that you can scroll through where we've actually even secured jobs because our name in our business was listed.
Someone called us and decided that they wanted us to do their graduation for their home.
And when they even a corporate event, their own personal home because we were on the Small Business Chamber.
But one thing I do appreciate is that we have mingles.
Like, and it's called a mingle because you get to sit down and you meet 23 different businesses in that one hour or half hour and a half.
And that's a lot of people that you can correspond to, especially if you know that they can use your service.
You know, there's some companies that are business specific, but we, like, everybody's doing a birthday.
Everybody's doing a baby shower.
And whatever venue they are, there's something going on either business or in their personal life that they may need us.
So, being able to sit down and interact with so many different people, and they have events I want to say like, it's a minimum five a month.
But these are the kind of things that the chamber does for us.
And a lot of this is already included in your membership.
So it's not out of pocket.
And I even did the balloons for the chamber for their awards ceremony.
So, majority of the pictures that are out there are balloons are in those pictures.
So, it's really awesome.
And the people also promote us as well.
Like, as far as various business, I reached out because I had a question and he was on it.
Like, I think I got my answer in about two hours.
Just contacting the president of the chamber.
And it was just so quick.
Like, that's how wonderful, you know, the interaction is with them.
Yeah, that sounds like a really fantastic network.
It is.
And you establish not only those professional relationships, but those personal relationships as well.
And that's really important.
It was definitely worth the investment.
I will say that.
And especially if you go to these events.
Right.
Because you get the most out of it that you can.
Absolutely.
Because if you don't show up, you got to show up.
Right.
You got to show up.
And honestly, you got to take advantage of meeting these people.
If you don't say hello, if you don't say, you know, how are you doing today?
Just meeting these people in that moment.
And where their need is at that time is really where I feel like our strength is because I'm a talker.
So, it just comes in handy.
It's being able to meet and then interact and then build a relationship from that point
on.
Wow.
Yeah.
So, do you have a staff or are you doing things by yourself?
How are you operating here?
So, previously, I did definitely have someone doing a lot of my social media.
Okay.
So, that person, which I'm really proud of, they have moved on, but in a tremendous way.
Okay.
Tell me, look, my schedule is getting busy.
So, in that way, but I've learned to really utilize like a lot of the chat G-P-T, a lot
of the AI technology.
So, majority of the posts that I do now are really out of the chat G-P-T and AI technology.
But I do have people that I contract.
So, as far as events that we have, larger events, I reach out to, I have probably ten
people in my roster and I'll just ask, you know, are you available?
Can you help?
And if they, like, I have a few events coming up and I have three different people helping
me for those events.
And because, and that's a good thing about balloon decor, especially the larger events, I can schedule.
I can reach out to them, make sure they're available.
If they want to do it, they can even take time off, you know, and help out if they would
like.
So, a lot of my workers are contract workers.
Gotcha.
Or day workers.
And you get hired to do a job and let's say it's a sizable job.
Do you?
Because again, you know, I check out social media and I see what other folks are doing.
Do you blow your balloons up there or do you bring them blown up?
Like, what's your process?
My process is we blow them up here.
Okay.
I try.
I've seen it both ways.
Yeah.
So, the only time I really blow it up there is if I have a lack of transportation, that
will allow me to do it.
And if I have enough space in my van or I'll run a U-Haul.
And I'll pack out the U-Haul because I am one to just have everything done while it's
there.
And I have, even with COVID, we tried to shorten our delivery time.
And I'm so proud of that because we can do like a whole setup in maybe 20, 30 minutes
just because we become efficient at this job.
And continue to be more efficient.
But yeah, I really try to do it in advance and then carry it over to the venue.
You mentioned using AI or chat GPT, that kind of software to help with your social media posts, which I mean, the social media aspect, it's a bear.
I love it.
It's, you know, it takes up a lot of time.
You have to think, you know, how am I going to say what I want to say today and make sure that it's not the same as how I said it yesterday.
So I think that's a really great tip for business owners that, you know, are looking to just make life a little bit easier and you use the word efficiency, right?
We're always looking to be more efficient.
So that's a great tip.
Do you have any other tips for not necessarily, you know, women that are in the balloon artistry aspect of events, but just in general?
I say use what's out there.
I am a member of SCORE.
I'm a member of the SBA.
I'm a member.
I told you I took class at the YWCA.
I'm taking a class right now at the launcher program, which is the Western neighborhood that class meets Monday and Tuesday of every week.
I, like, I don't even know.
I'm in Facebook groups.
I'm in balloon masters.
I pay for education.
I pay for it.
I love it.
I appreciate it.
And I use it.
As far as the chat GPT, I took a score.
Meeting.
It was like a two and a half hour meeting with SCORE.
The man went through it and showed us how to use it.
Oh, and I'm also in standby me.
I meet with the counselor there.
And he also taught me, but as far as the SCORE and how to really hone in on that chat GPT that was through the SCORE mentor.
So I will say as far as how and what women can utilize, just use what's out there.
It is so much information.
And a lot of this is free.
You just got to sign up for it.
And then when you sign up for it, take advantage of it.
Sure.
And that's really what it is.
When you said the chat GPT and AI, I did not understand.
I was like, what is this thing?
And I've used AI before just to make, like, other posts.
And I was like, and I paid for that.
It was like $159 and they wanted $159 per month.
But all it was was they just redesigned a single picture post.
And I was like, this is not enough.
So I ended up canceling that AI technology.
But then when chat GPT came out, and I'm using the basic version, that absolutely allowed me to really understand what I can do with this service and how I can really, like, you can type in, literally type in, create a Facebook post with 50 words or less using hashtags.
Like you can say that to this computer.
And it'll, and when you said it takes, it'll generate it for you.
When you said it takes a lot of time, I used to spend like hours in the morning just trying
to create a post every day.
I was like, this is not easy.
It's not, and even I use you cut for a lot of, and still some, I use you cut anyway.
But now even a lot of these apps will have the AI little piece in there.
So like you click like six or seven pictures and it'll create a whole post for you.
Like lights, camera and action of everything.
So I'm really just using what's out there.
Please just free yourself up of the time that you could be doing something else, something more creative.
And even if you're paying somebody, you know, that money, maybe they can be used elsewhere.
Like creating your emails or something else, use what's out there that can snap that time back for yourself, take advantage of your own time.
Do you schedule your emails?
I'm hearing a lot of buzz about people doing this as a means to free up time.
So is that so I have not started doing that.
But like I said, I'm hearing that that's the thing that everyone is doing.
Do you do that?
I am not really an email promoter.
Okay.
So I'm more social media and I probably should use emails a lot.
I've been able to create because you know, when you do a lot of these wedding venues or the bridal showers, they actually give you a list of the email addresses of the people who signed up.
Okay.
And I honestly say I don't think I took full advantage of those contacts that they gave
me.
And what I usually try to do is get people at that moment to follow us on social media.
But as far as their email addresses, I don't even program my social media posts.
So no, they're not.
That's another thing I hear people do as well.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I could.
I could take advantage of that.
But that's one thing.
It sounds like you're taking advantage of so much more and you're getting so much out of it.
So I would say you're definitely checking off that box for sure.
Talk to me about your favorite job that you've done.
Favorite.
I did Schellville down in Rehoboth Beach, which if anyone knows what Schellville is, it is just a fun place.
It's so cute.
It's so adorable.
It's, I don't even think there's anything.
I don't even have anything negative to say about it.
But that company as a whole, what happened is I'm
one of those people like if I look at events that are upcoming and I'll send all the messages, you know, hi, I see that you have this upcoming event and I was wondering if you needed any balloon decor.
These are the type of messages that I do in my all time.
So they came back and was like, okay.
And then they checked out my webpage and that's one of the things that will say is I appreciate having a beautiful webpage, a very active social media and that just helps.
Especially when you say corporate events, if you are in line with your social media and
your business page, your webpage, it helps.
But Schellville was so cute.
I did their event for Easter and the colors were beautiful.
The people were so extremely nice.
But that was one of my best and one more was we did the balloons for J-Lo.
And she was doing her, it's my party tour.
So at the Wells Fargo Center and this was through my mentor, she was like, do you, are you available on this day?
I was like, yes.
So we did the balloons at the J-Lo, it's my party tour at the Wells Fargo Center and I
met the guy who was actually in her, she had a video and he traveled with her.
He was a balloon artist.
He traveled with her to each and every destination.
He would find balloon artists in that area.
So like if you happen to be linked, you can get a job.
And again, connections, networking, just building up that rapport with different people.
He actually posted.
I was talking about how amazing the opportunity was.
He was like, how are you again in the moment?
That's great.
Yeah, it was a lot of balloons.
There was a lot of balloons that we had to do.
I think I was at that show.
We took my mother.
Oh, nice.
Yeah, so we saw one of those performances.
That's so cool.
Yeah.
That is so cool.
And that was amazing.
That was a big, big deal.
And then even that weekend, just being flown out, like somebody saying, I would really appreciate your work.
That was a big deal.
Yeah, I will say that.
Okay, tell me about your most challenging job.
Could be challenging for any reason that you'd like to share.
Oh man.
For that same reason, I want to say shellville.
Okay.
And I was, I will say I wasn't prepared.
This was in the big, I was more aggressive than I had employees.
Okay.
So I had to be there and I want to say, I think I blew up balloons like for a whole day.
My U-Haul was packed.
And like I said, I like to do balloons here.
The U-Haul was packed.
I didn't, it was windy.
I didn't have enough weights.
It was, I ran out of balloons.
It was so cold because it was, you know, Easter, it's either hotter cold during that time.
So it was so cold.
I thought I could plug in my blower for electricity into my U-Haul through a converter.
It didn't have enough power.
So that was a lot.
So how do you survive that situation?
What, you know, because in that moment, and we, I feel like we've all been there.
You feel like that's it.
I'm just packing it up and I'm just going to leave, right?
But you have to push through.
What, what do you do?
So I was putting up balloons while they had the longest line in my, and I've ever seen
in my whole life.
Okay.
Like I don't, I don't know if anyone has ever been in the shellvill, but their lines are
so long.
It's, and it was during, like the end of COVID so people were just happy to be out in about.
Right.
So everyone's out.
And I'm doing balloons because we did not time it correctly.
And I'm on a ladder.
They had to adjust their lines because of me because I had left the front undone and I
was still putting up balloons.
I really, I actually had to give them a credit because we did not do almost half of what
we said we were going to accomplish.
It was, it's a lesson learned.
Whoo.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And that's why I said it was like my fun, right?
Because they like reaching out, taking that initiative and they end them hiring me, but
then not completing the task as needed to be.
But what was done was pretty.
Yeah.
I'm sure it was.
I'm sure it was.
I'm sure you do.
Wonderful.
Thank you.
How do you deal with the disgruntled client?
And let's say, you know, you're staring at the job that you did and you know it's, it's
wonderful, right?
It's magnificent.
But for some reason, they're just not, they're not feeling that.
How do you stay professional?
How do you deal with those situations?
It's tough.
It is.
I've, I've always been and my mom, she always laughs at me because I'm so quick to say I'm so sorry.
I'm, I don't even want to argue with you.
I don't, you're right.
You know what?
One way that there's something, maybe I misunderstood, okay?
I'm just so quick to say I apologize for the misunderstanding.
And that's, I think really just for, in allowing that person event, I'm not one of those people who will cut somebody off and be like, well, you did it, no, just tell me, tell me.
You know, and let them get it out because if you don't let them get it out, they're going
to sit there and run that to anybody else that will listen to them.
True.
So just let them get it out and then apologize.
And then really it's like, you know, because that, it's funny.
I definitely had this one lady and I was on my way.
So I had to get my girlfriend.
She's a nurse and she sometimes helps me with deliveries.
I was like, Jackie, I need you.
Can you please go like pick up the balloons already ready?
Can you just pick them up and take them over to this venue?
It was in Dover and she had just got off work.
So she's in her nursing uniform.
And while she was bringing in the items, somebody just asked, which they always do, do you need help?
And she was like sure.
And so the guy was helping her and that's where it went wrong because they was like, oh, she didn't know what she was doing and she was like, I wish she would have said no.
I wish she would have said no because my girlfriend, she has been on so many jobs with me.
So like, and we've been best friends for over 20 years, like more than 20 years.
So like she's been on so many jobs.
So if she wanted to say no, it probably would have been fine.
But her saying sure, I'll accept your help.
Which is a natural thing to say when someone is--
Yeah, sure, someone's offering.
And that was so weird.
So she was like, you needed help or co-worker or she needed help on that day.
And I was like, and I ended up coming, but I was so close to the time of the party.
But we had it up and it was like 6'10" and I think her party started at 6.
So that was her issue with us.
The balloons look great.
The setup looked great.
But because of her saying that my worker didn't look competent, I said, you know what?
And this was the second person, like I've done balloons for her before.
So on your next order, I would love to give you a discount.
And like I said, I listen.
I apologize.
And I didn't even bring up the fact that he shouldn't have asked for help or the offer.
I just said, I'm so sorry.
And we would love to have the opportunity to change your thoughts around about our business.
And that's how I took it.
So sometimes you do have to take that high road.
They call it.
It's just a habit for me just always.
And my mom always says that about me.
I'm so much, I've chose peace years ago.
Okay.
In my life.
I choose peace.
That's one of the things.
One of the things.
Yeah.
We had a job once.
The event planner wasn't on site yet.
And they had rented some cocktail tables for this very large.
I didn't realize how large it was until after I made the delivery and then started
it.
This is my fault, I guess, for not googling it and doing my due diligence.
But this was like a big festival.
It happens annually.
I had no idea.
So we dropped these tables off and the event planner hadn't quite gotten there.
And some of the staff, they were there.
And they weren't quite ready.
The area where they wanted these cocktail tables, it wasn't ready yet for me to, you know, I come rolling in with the poles and the bases and the table tops.
And they also ordered spandex tablecloths.
Yeah.
Well, you can just leave them there.
And I said, you know what?
I said, he paid for full service.
And that means assembling the tables and putting these to, so I'm going to have to do that.
Well, no, no, no, no, it's more not ready.
I said, I'm not trying to rush you.
I will do this over here.
And then when you're ready, you then can just shimmy them over to the area because it was fairly close because what are you, they're not ready for me to put them there.
But I also didn't want to leave these tables unassembled and not put together.
So that was just when you were talking about offering help and then they did, they were trying to help me get them.
No, no, no, no, no, we're good.
I don't need anybody carrying anything out of the truck.
We're okay.
Yeah, there is that fine line where someone's just being polite.
They see someone, especially, you know, I mean, as a woman, you're carrying things that
are heavy.
I feel like, you know, folks, their natural inclination is to want to help, but you do
have that concern that, you know, just like the story that you shared, somehow that's
going to be twisted and used against you when that wasn't, that wasn't what it was.
It was even in future.
Yeah, that wasn't even at all.
So what would you say are some of the values that you as a business owner, you just, they're so important to who you are and your brand and your business?
What are some of those values?
I will absolutely say quality products, quality customer service.
Absolutely.
And those are important to me and I don't think any business can have longevity if you're not providing great customer service.
At the end of the day, you need these people to say she did a great job and I would hire
her again.
After Aubrey event, I send a message to my clients and I say we really appreciate and
thank you for this opportunity.
And we say, you know, if you have any pictures you want to share, we'll definitely accept
them.
Right.
And I also, in that same message, I say we would really appreciate your feedback on the
quality, on the service and the delivery that we provided to you.
And if you are, would like, you can either leave that message here or and I always give our Google link.
I'm trying to build up our Google reviews.
Sure.
And I give them my link to my Google.
And that's actually how right now, we're five star rated on Facebook and on Google.
So and I think Google, we have, I want to say it's like six or seven reviews.
Facebook, we have 19 reviews.
So although I send it out every time, you know, not everybody knows.
I know they don't.
It kills you, right?
Because it is so important.
It is.
And sometimes you do it.
And sometimes I've asked twice, I'm not going to go beyond that because you don't want to harass, but at the same time, you know, you did such a great job.
And it would be, and they were so happy.
It would be so great if they gave you the feedback, but sometimes they just don't.
Yeah.
And that feedback is so crucial, especially like I said, that quality customer service,
that's how you really build up, I, um, but really just build up a great clientele.
Absolutely.
And I was so shocked.
They have five, I think it was 4.9 stars and over 500 views.
Wow.
500.
Is it a balloon?
No.
That's okay.
But who's doing 500?
Right.
So like that's a lot of people that really sit down at their computer or on their phone
to say that I appreciated being at this location.
That's so awesome.
And that is, that's one of the things that I strive for.
As far as multiple reviews of people just, you know, letting others know how good or bad their, um, their experience was with us.
I, I'm one of those people who do reviews on my plan now.
I am now.
You are now.
I was never before, but now I understand how important it is to business.
Yeah.
It's so big.
And, um, my own personal Google page, I have over 3.9 million, um, like people who have looked at my review and over 3 million, um, views on my pictures.
Wow.
Like, but I've been doing this probably about the same time, like just making sure every
location I go to, I post a review whether it's good, bad, or ugly.
I just, um, I'm really a review person at this point.
Yeah.
So like you said, it kind of changes you.
Um, like, yeah, okay.
It did.
I have a good experience.
I want to let other people know about it.
That's right.
And that's really how you pay it forward.
You can pay it too.
Yeah, for sure.
So talk to me about something.
It could be a couple of things that you just, you weren't expecting when you started this
business.
It could be good, bad, whatever.
Um, I was probably say just linking up and understanding how important having event planners, um, as friends, as business partners, how important having other people.
Um, also closely related business, but not 100%.
Um, but you really, that networking is 100%.
Um, really important.
Not just posting a picture, not just, um, saying that I deliver balloons, but you have to,
like, build these relationships with these people that, you know what, I really like her
work.
Next time I do an event, I'm gonna call her.
So the, and she's easy to work with or she comes on time or, you know what?
Cause it could be the opposite or she's always late or she's, you know, her balloon colors
don't match or other things, but just understanding the communication with these event planners
and, um, cause not all the time do I have communication with the customer.
So understanding what the vision is from the event planners perspective, but through
the customer, um, or through the event planner has, is something that I have found is very important to this business.
If you could go back and give your younger self, you know, 18, 19 years old when you feel like the world is, it's right in front of you.
It's yours for the taking.
What, what are some pieces of advice that you would give your, your younger self?
Wow.
That's a great question.
I, uh, I would probably say I would have finished college immediately.
Yeah.
I actually bought this house when I was 23 years old.
Wow.
So I was always on that track of like being a homeowner of only, I was working at Bank of America
at 19.
So like meeting people and being around people who were business and, um, corporate, uh, I had that experience, um, even at 20, um, and I would just say I didn't take advantage at that moment of the free education of them paying for my college.
Not until later, but I wish I would have did that when I only had like my one child and
I was a who's really like, it's complicated right after that.
Very much so because it is, it, it, you just get busy.
You get busy with whatever stuff it is.
Yeah.
Exactly what I said.
I would have take, I would have took the time to really, really, really hurry up and finish
my degree.
Okay.
Yeah.
All right.
So you mentioned this mentor that you worked for and so I'm assuming that she was an influential person in your life, personally and professionally.
How about two other people that you would consider highly influential in, you know, in your life in a positive way?
I want definitely my mom.
She is amazing.
I, I really just don't even know where I would be without her.
And, and if I can, I would say my dad, I have two great parents.
Like, they're not together right now, but both of them are just really amazing people.
My dad was in the military, um, and he retired military, but just growing up in that structured household.
Um, and my mom was a young military wife.
So like she had to take care of, at 17, 18, she was already married and had a baby.
But she also took care of home.
We didn't have, I will say I had a wonderful life.
Now, just separately, my mom is an amazing, I've seen her buy her house.
And I think that's one of the reasons why I wanted my house so quickly because I've seen her go through the process as a single mom.
She took classes.
She went through the motions and she ended up buying her own home.
Which I, I was like, you know what?
I want that too.
Yeah, I can do that.
Yeah, I can.
So like seeing that was really something she influenced on me.
And she was always a worker.
Oh, my, my mom was a worker.
And, um, I appreciated that.
Mm-hmm.
You take after her too.
Yeah.
You were busy, busy, busy.
Yeah.
And even my dad, he, he was creative.
I remember in high school, I ran for, uh, SGA president.
So I had this shirt, he did it with paint.
He did his, um, shirt SGA Jackson for president or if you want action, both for Adrian Jackson.
That's crazy.
So like, I had, in like my brother, he, um, he was a dancer.
So my dad would do his pants.
Oh.
So even though he was in the military, he was very, very creative.
And like some of the stuff that, um, is built, um, my dad had his hands, he still has his
hands on it.
Okay.
And both of those people are just really top.
Yeah.
I saw that your, your dad just had a birthday.
Yeah.
And you did the balloons.
I did see your post.
That's pretty special.
Yeah.
You know, he's a really great dad, you know.
He, now, like, like I said, he was in the military.
Now he works for the post office.
Okay.
He graduated at 50, which pays, uh, degree from Goldie Beacon.
Get out.
So, so not even like, it's never too late.
Never too.
No, it's not.
Yeah.
Just watching, like, how he is still on the go, um, delivering the mail on a daily basis.
And he should be retired.
But he just can't say, "Dalas, you keep going."
Yeah.
And it's one thing keep going.
So he's a super cool dad.
That's, that's awesome.
And I so inspiring.
Yeah.
50.
Getting your college degree.
That's, that's special.
It is.
What you have some really great examples to follow.
I do.
And that's wonderful.
Yeah.
I agree.
And, what would you say is one of the biggest challenges that you're currently facing right now?
Who?
I will probably say not being able to be everywhere at once.
Um, you know, I would love to be here and there and everywhere.
Um, it's funny because when you go to a delivery, and this is just how funny my mind works, I'll go to the most remote area for delivery, but I'm like, I'm passing their house.
I know they have a birthday.
I'm passing their house.
I know they have a graduate, but you know, like trying to get to each and every person because of their celebration or whatever they got going on.
Um, but just reaching people and letting them know that we have this service.
And that's probably why I'm such a talker is, you know, I just want people to know that
we are out here.
Yeah.
And that's marketing.
That's me just being out there.
Me just talking to people.
So really I would probably say that's one of our challenges.
And, and just trying to be able to deliver for each and every person as well, you know,
sometimes you get so busy, it's like, I don't even have that time available.
I'm not even available on that date.
Right.
So that as well.
That work life balance, right?
You come from the corporate world in your past career.
I was a teacher.
So we were both working jobs that took a lot of time and took us away from family.
Oh my goodness.
I'm not to put words in your mouth, but I know starting my own business.
I wanted some of that time back and, you know, trying to find that balance of, okay, I'm,
I'm a small business owner.
I'm really fortunate to have the, the business and the work, but I also don't want that to.
I don't want to get into a situation that I was in previously where now I'm never home
and I'm losing that balance again after finding it, you know, I definitely agree with you.
I appreciate the fact that while my 23 year old, he's in North Carolina now, but when he
was here, he would go out on delivery with me.
So we still have that family time.
My 11 year old goes out on delivery with me.
I've seen.
It's all hands on deck.
I've seen.
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
It's like, oh, you're available.
Yeah.
Let's wake up.
We're getting up at 8 o'clock, buddy.
So yeah, like, you know, and even pulled the core like it's out there working.
We're lifting and we're moving.
So absolutely, and being able to do that because he cracks me up.
He calls himself the manager.
Okay.
He absolutely understands that he says, I can't wait to be the manager or the owner of
precious Jubilee.
Like he already sees me moving out, moving on and help, you know, taking over.
Yeah.
So and being able to instill those thoughts into a young, and I'm going to say this is a young black mind, being a black mother, you know, the fact that this is the right thing to do.
This young man has goals and he has a future to look forward to him.
It's really important to me as a mom to show that you have a few.
You are somebody.
And you're somebody who can absolutely move on be a CEO, be a owner.
You are a big deal.
So, and I just love seeing that and being able to instill the fact that, you know, working
at, and nothing to get, I used to work at A&W high dog, but, you know, nothing against the fast food, but being able to own your own, you know, being able to take advantage of the opportunities are here.
The, I have him, what's called out school, and he's about to learn Japanese.
Okay.
I want to go to Japan.
I'm like, well, you need to learn to speak the language.
So, you know, being able to take advantage of the technology that we have, how else would he have learned, being able to learn that?
Right.
So, I appreciate being able to do this for my family, meeting people that can actually
put us in a position that makes them feel like, because everywhere we go, he's working,
and they're like, "How young man?"
And you know, or teaching people, or teaching them how to shake their hand, you know, because that's also grow for a young man to have a strong handshake.
So, I appreciate things like that.
Yeah.
We're setting a wonderful example for him.
Yeah.
Just like your parents have set a really great example for you.
You're doing the same for him, so that's wonderful.
I appreciate that.
Yeah.
Alright, so, tell us, where can we go to find you?
So, we are available on Facebook, Instagram, we're even on YouTube, we're on TikTok, we are on, what are their social media?
Whatever, social media, everywhere.
We are, and on our website, under precious Jubilee Decor, we also have recently started our Amazon shop, so our recommendations of balloons, if you don't want us, you can do a DIY package that we recommend, and the equipment to also do that.
We're on Etsy, we're on Shopify.
All under precious Jubilee Decor.
We have consistently built this brand across multiple platforms under precious Jubilee Decor, so if you Google us, we'll pop up somewhere.
Perfect.
We are going to pop up.
If someone wanted to get in contact with you, what is the best avenue?
Do you have a contact form on your website?
How do you prefer people reach out to you?
I will say definitely, please feel free to reach out through our website, precious Jubilee
Decor.
I love and appreciate our Google business page as well.
We have a lot of pictures.
The message has come through directly to my phone if you happen to use Google.
You can also read our customer reviews on Google.
Facebook, honestly, has been our number one though, so as far as the top three, Facebook is number one.
The message has also come directly to our phone, and there's a ton of pictures, so if you
want to just look over our reviews, look over past pictures of deliveries and send us
an inspiration, let us know what you're looking for.
We've got it too.
Wonderful.
You have email too?
I do have email.
Again, precious Jubilee Decor.com, well, precious Jubilee Decor at gmail.com.
Gotcha.
Yes.
Okay, so we're going to circle back, and I'm going to ask you if you could come up with
a mocktail that you feel just embodies the whole spirit of your business and who you are
and what you bring to it.
What would that mocktail be called?
I'm going to call it Blue Pop Biz.
Oh, I love that.
And the pop.
That's perfect, right?
Blu-n pop?
That's perfect.
And the thing is, because that's that little sizzle.
I love it.
This sizzle, you've got to have the sizzle at the end.
I love it.
I'm so glad that you agreed to sit down with me, and I really hope to work with you again in the future.
Let's have a toast to close things out.
I love it.
What should we toast to?
Oh, to successfulness of women around the world.
I love it.
Yeah.
All right.
Cheers.
Cheers.