Hey guys as 2022 comes to an end I am so very grateful for each one of you. This year I have learned so much about myself. One thing that I have learned about myself is that I can do anything that I put my heart to. This year has been special because I had to put my heart and mind up to a huge task. The task that I put my heart and mind up to was our company’s first ever Autism Sensitive Santa. The second task that I wanted to accomplish was to become an event coordinator. Well, my event planning skills were put to the test while I planned our Autism Sensitive Santa. I have to say although I was so nervous about planning our company event and it turned out very well.
Planning
Some things that I learned about event planning are
- Always have Signed Contracts
- Pay for vendors ahead of time
- Confirm catering and DJ ahead of time
- Always be on time to set a good example
- Check that you have your needed supplies ahead of time
- Volunteers are a life saver
- Ask friends/ family to help out
Day Of The Event
The day of the event I did not realize how many little things could go wrong from forgetting supplies, food being non edible, forgetting about how excited I was turn into fear, frustrations, unknowns, upset and more, emotions try to ruin everything. The biggest frustration was the DJ not showing up. However, I had to stay calm and make it all work. So, while my vendors were setting up Rob and I ran to the stores to get the last-minute supplies. Being the host, I had to run everything from my phone while I was gone. Thank god for my good friend Savannah she took control of everything so I could focus and get back to the event as soon as I could.
Event Went Great
Once we were back at the venue and all set up things were amazing. I even threw in a last minute toy/ nonperishable food drive. The drive was such an amazing turn out. The characters, our Santa’s, the vendors, the food truck and our surprise Christmas jeep parade were all amazing.
The changes
Some of the changes that I would make going forward are
- Cut the event time back a little bit
- Ask for catering references
- Accept any help given
- Check supply list more than once
Other than the above changes that I would make my best advice would be to smile through the storms. If you smile through the storms, then your guests would never know that there’s an issue. By you staying calm you keep your guests calm and relaxed. If you freak out and panic, your guests will as well and not be able to enjoy the event and leave early.
Believe in yourself
So, after going through a lot this year I learned that if you believe in yourself that you can do anything that you put your heart to. You see even though I went through not believing that I could host such a big event or be an event coordinator and, in the end, I started to believe in myself, and I hosted our Sensitive Santa. I also hosted and coordinated a birthday party for a five-year-old girl named Emery. After coordinating these events I learned that I can be a great event coordinator and event host.
Christmas 22
Christmas was good this year. We went to my mom’s for dinner. I hardly got anything that I wanted. I got a coat that I needed, new shoes, I got pens for blogging, $100, candy and an Alexa device for my desk. My mom makes this amazing sweet potato Souffle by Trisha Yearwood. To me the best part of Christmas is decorating the tree, the Christmas music, Christmas lights, hot cocoa, and Christmas movies. However, my most favorite part of Christmas is the Disney Christmas parade on the TV and cinnamon buns with apple cider. Yes, I know that saying this might be weird, but I still believe in Santa and the spirit of Christmas.
Goals for 2023
My goals for 2023 are to continue to work on my goals of becoming an event coordinator for special needs events. My next goal is to continue to work on my Inspirational Speaking with my coach Anju. My final goal is to keep working on our Sensitive Easter Bunny event on 4/8/2023. Goals are always a continuous journey.
Wishes for 2023
My wishes for 2023 are to continue to develop my Inspirational Speaking page to be able to spend more time writing and posting blogs, and to book more speaking events. I would like to schedule more speaking lives and post some contests this year. I also want to book at 1 out of state speaking engagement, and possibly 1 international trip. I am going to work hard this year in order to accomplish my goals within my speaking career.
Photobooth
Although this year has been great for photobooth, there is still a lot of work to be done. I would like our calendar to be full year-round. That way we can help as many clients as we can but also be able to pay our bills and not struggle. I would like to focus more on special needs events this year. I feel like I fit in better and work better at special needs events.
Wrapping It Up
OK guys even it’s time to wrap this up. I have been at it all day! Happy Holidays! We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year 2023!